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: trunk · stem · bore · season · tube · ball · rash · saw

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bore — to tire
  5. season — of the year
  6. tube — the underground
  7. ball — a dance
  8. tube — a container
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bore — to drill
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. season — in sport
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. saw — the tool
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. ball — a great time
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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