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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bore — to drill
  3. wax — to grow
  4. spell — magic
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bass — low music
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. rash — hasty
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. rash — a series
  23. bass — the fish
  24. wave — with your hand

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