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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. net — for catching
  3. lie — to recline
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. band — a music group
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. net — after costs
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bore — to drill
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. net — in sport
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. band — a ring
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. mouse — the animal

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