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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bore — to tire
  3. mark — a grade
  4. net — after costs
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. land — ground
  7. bore — to drill
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. net — in sport
  10. cap — of ice
  11. mark — a trace
  12. clip — to cut
  13. land — to come down
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. clip — a video
  18. cap — a lid
  19. net — for catching
  20. cap — a hat
  21. land — a country
  22. clip — for paper
  23. content — happy
  24. content — the amount

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