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 120 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: ground · bore · racket · clip · trunk · saw · rest · key

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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. saw — the tool
  4. bore — to drill
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bore — to tire
  9. clip — for paper
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ground — a position
  13. key — for a lock
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. clip — a video
  16. ground — the earth
  17. clip — to cut
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. rest — a break
  24. ground — crushed

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