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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bound — tied together
  6. mine — for digging
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. key — in music
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wax — to grow
  13. court — of a king
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bound — obliged
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. court — of law
  19. court — for sport
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bound — certain
  22. wound — an injury
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — the most important part

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