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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. track — a path
  3. can — a tin
  4. track — to keep track
  5. present — there
  6. fork — in a road
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. present — a gift
  10. can — a tin
  11. suit — in cards
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — money
  14. bore — to drill
  15. present — the time now
  16. capital — a city
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. track — a song
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to tire
  23. can — to be able to
  24. fork — to eat with

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