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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. roll — a list
  4. pound — a weight
  5. lean — to bend
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. net — in sport
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. rule — a law
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. perch — the fish
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bore — to tire
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. roll — a cake
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. lean — thin
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bore — to drill

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