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: arm · perch · trunk · row · bore · firm · wound · date

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bore — to drill
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. firm — steady
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. perch — the fish
  12. row — a line
  13. firm — decided
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. wound — an injury
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bore — to tire
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. firm — a company
  20. wound — an injury
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — to paddle
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. date — 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