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: bore · firm · field · saw · trunk · shower · bowl · chair

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. firm — decided
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. field — for sport
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. field — farmland
  11. bore — to drill
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bore — to tire
  14. shower — rain
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. chair — a leader
  18. field — a subject
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — a company
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. chair — to sit on

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