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: bore · cap · mate · wound · spell · nail · trunk · pit

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. wound — an injury
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bore — to tire
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bore — to drill
  9. mate — a partner
  10. cap — of ice
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. mate — to breed
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — magic
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. pit — a hole
  23. cap — a hat
  24. spell — letters

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