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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  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. can — to be able to
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bore — to drill
  6. net — in sport
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. net — after costs
  11. court — of a king
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — of ice
  16. court — for sport
  17. cap — a lid
  18. net — for catching
  19. can — a tin
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. can — a tin
  22. court — of law
  23. deal — to handle
  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