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: land · present · trunk · cell · temple · lean · bore · leaves

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bore — to drill
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. lean — thin
  9. land — to come down
  10. present — the time now
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. present — there
  13. land — ground
  14. present — a gift
  15. land — a country
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cell — in biology
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. lean — to bend

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