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: firm · land · wake · bore · nail · present · game · trunk

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. present — a gift
  3. firm — steady
  4. land — a country
  5. game — a match
  6. land — ground
  7. wake — a trail
  8. land — to come down
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. present — the time now
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bore — to tire
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. firm — decided
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bore — to drill
  19. firm — a company
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. present — there
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. game — a kind of play

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