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: deal · court · safe · pitcher · bore · stem · sharp · trunk

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. sharp — clever
  3. court — of a king
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stem — to come from
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. court — for sport
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bore — to drill
  24. court — of law

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