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: nail · leaves · bore · trunk · capital · rest · shower · racket

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. rest — a break
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — to drill
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — money
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. shower — rain
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. shower — to wash
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. capital — a city
  22. rest — what's left
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — lets stay

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