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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. ball — a great time
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. snap — to click
  7. scale — size or range
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bore — to tire
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bore — to drill
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. chip — for betting
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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