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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. chest — a box
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. row — to paddle
  13. press — to push
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. press — newspapers
  16. row — a line
  17. bass — low music
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bat — the animal
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bore — to tire
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bore — to drill

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