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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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. can — a tin
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bore — to tire
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. deal — to handle
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. root — the cause
  8. wound — an injury
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. can — a tin
  14. net — for catching
  15. root — of a word
  16. can — to be able to
  17. root — of a plant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rush — hurry
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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