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: cell · bound · trunk · bore · hand · wake · tube · rash

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. rash — a series
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bound — tied together
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bound — certain
  10. rash — hasty
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. hand — help
  13. bore — to tire
  14. cell — in biology
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bound — obliged
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. wake — a trail
  23. tube — a container
  24. cell — a phone

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