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 120 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: file · sharp · temple · bore · bound · trunk · prune · spring

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. prune — to trim
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bound — tied together
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bore — to drill
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. file — a tool
  11. prune — to trim
  12. spring — a coil
  13. file — a line of people
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. spring — of water
  18. bound — certain
  19. file — a document
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bore — to tire
  23. sharp — clever
  24. prune — the fruit

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