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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. spring — of water
  3. can — a tin
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bore — to tire
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. can — a tin
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bore — to drill
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — of the year
  16. rock — a stone
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. can — to be able to
  19. wax — to grow
  20. sharp — clever
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — a coil
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. rock — 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