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: current · bank · court · bore · trunk · bulb · mine · shower

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bank — for money
  7. shower — rain
  8. current — of water
  9. bulb — for light
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. current — electric
  17. bore — to drill
  18. current — happening now
  19. bore — to tire
  20. court — of a king
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. shower — to wash
  23. court — for sport
  24. bulb — of a plant

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