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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. staff — employees
  5. present — there
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. degree — an amount
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — to confront
  10. staff — employees
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. suit — in cards
  13. degree — from a university
  14. rush — hurry
  15. present — a gift
  16. staff — a stick
  17. degree — temperature
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. suit — clothes
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bore — to drill
  23. suit — to fit
  24. present — the time now

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