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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bound — tied together
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bore — to tire
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bore — to drill
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. last — finally
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a document
  15. last — to go on
  16. file — a tool
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bound — certain
  19. season — of the year
  20. last — final
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. season — in sport
  23. bound — obliged
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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