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: season · fine · shower · bore · leaves · wind · mate · trunk

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. shower — rain
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. season — in sport
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bore — to drill
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bore — to tire
  13. wind — moving air
  14. fine — all right
  15. shower — to wash
  16. mate — a partner
  17. wind — moving air
  18. season — of the year
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a friend
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. fine — high quality
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. fine — a penalty

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