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

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. track — a song
  5. content — the amount
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rock — a stone
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. spring — of water
  12. rock — music
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bore — to tire
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. content — happy
  18. bore — to drill
  19. track — a path
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. spring — the season
  22. track — to keep track
  23. coach — a trainer
  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