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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bore — to drill
  4. chest — of your body
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. pop — to visit
  8. net — after costs
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. net — in sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the sport
  16. net — for catching
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pop — soda
  20. bore — to tire
  21. chest — a box
  22. rest — a break
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pop — music

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