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 116 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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — boats
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. net — for catching
  13. craft — a skill
  14. current — happening now
  15. kick — in football
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. net — in sport
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. current — of water
  21. current — electric
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — to tire

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