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

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. march — music
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. march — the month
  10. wax — to grow
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. march — the month
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a dance
  24. mouse — the animal

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