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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. degree — from a university
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bore — to drill
  8. mug — a cup
  9. degree — temperature
  10. mine — for digging
  11. pop — soda
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mug — a face
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. pop — to visit
  21. degree — an amount
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pop — music

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