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: spring · field · bore · cabinet · staff · bulb · nail · trunk

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. spring — the season
  3. field — for sport
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bore — to drill
  10. field — farmland
  11. bulb — for light
  12. spring — of water
  13. field — a subject
  14. staff — employees
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. staff — a stick
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to tire
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. nail — for a hammer

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