ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: perch · pop · wind · trunk · rock · snap · hide · jam

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to click
  6. pop — to visit
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. pop — music
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pop — soda
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rock — music
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com