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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. present — the time now
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. lean — to bend
  6. content — the amount
  7. season — in sport
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. season — of the year
  10. fine — high quality
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. present — a gift
  13. content — happy
  14. bore — to drill
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. present — there
  18. fine — all right
  19. lean — thin
  20. fall — to drop
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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