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: trunk · bowl · bat · bore · mark · squash · straw · calf

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — to drill
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bat — the animal
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — to crush
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — a trace
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bowl — a football final

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