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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  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. trunk — of a tree
  2. key — for a lock
  3. can — to be able to
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. last — finally
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bore — to tire
  9. key — in music
  10. bore — to drill
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — final
  13. game — a match
  14. can — a tin
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. can — a tin
  20. key — the most important part
  21. game — wild animals
  22. wind — moving air
  23. game — a kind of play
  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