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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. object — an aim
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bore — to drill
  8. object — to protest
  9. bore — to tire
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. face — to point toward
  12. court — of a king
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. court — of law
  17. face — to confront
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. court — for sport
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. object — a thing
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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