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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bore — to tire
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mine — for digging
  6. root — of a word
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. root — the cause
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. charge — in control
  11. chip — for betting
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bore — to drill
  14. court — of law
  15. court — of a king
  16. chip — to eat
  17. squash — the sport
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. court — for sport
  22. charge — a price
  23. root — of a plant
  24. squash — to crush

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