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: trunk · bound · nail · wake · land · kid · chip · press

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. land — ground
  3. kid — child
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bound — obliged
  6. chip — for betting
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. land — a country
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. press — to push
  11. land — to come down
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. kid — to tease
  14. wake — a trail
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bound — tied together
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bound — certain
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. trunk — of a car

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