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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. spell — magic
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. race — a contest
  6. bulb — for light
  7. spell — letters
  8. bore — to tire
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. cue — a signal
  14. file — a tool
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. file — a document
  18. spell — a short time
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. cue — a hint
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — humankind
  24. cue — for pool

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