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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bore — to tire
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bore — to drill
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. rest — a break
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. board — a committee
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mine — for digging
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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