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 · saw · season · vault · shower · track · clip · trunk

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. season — of the year
  3. clip — a video
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. saw — the tool
  6. track — a song
  7. shower — to wash
  8. clip — to cut
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. clip — for paper
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. track — to keep track
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. vault — a safe
  18. track — a path
  19. bore — to drill
  20. season — in sport
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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