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 116 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: track · pitcher · bore · trunk · calf · mouse · clip · staff

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. clip — to cut
  3. staff — employees
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. clip — for paper
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bore — to tire
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. track — a path
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. track — a song
  16. clip — a video
  17. staff — employees
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bore — to drill
  24. track — to keep track

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