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 120 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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. march — the month
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bore — to drill
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. march — music
  8. bore — to tire
  9. net — in sport
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. rush — hurry
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. fall — the season
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. wax — to grow
  16. march — the month
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. net — for catching
  19. dip — to sink
  20. net — after costs
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. dip — to dunk

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