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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: march · trunk · firm · bore · spring · chest · bark · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bore — to drill
  5. firm — decided
  6. spring — the season
  7. chest — a box
  8. march — the month
  9. chest — of your body
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — a company
  14. march — the month
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. march — music
  19. spring — of water
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bark — to shout
  23. charge — a price
  24. spring — a coil

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