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: trunk · bore · mug · straw · nail · court · rest · wax

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. court — of a king
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mug — a cup
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. wax — to grow
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. court — for sport
  13. rest — what's left
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. court — of law
  16. bore — to drill
  17. rest — a break
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. mug — to rob
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. mug — a face
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. rest — what's left
  24. straw — a straw man

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