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: mug · squash · stick · patient · trunk · pitcher · ball · board

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. board — to get on
  7. squash — the sport
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. mug — to rob
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. mug — a face
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a great time
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. squash — to crush
  20. board — a committee
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. mug — a cup
  24. ball — a round shape

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