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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. wax — to grow
  3. net — for catching
  4. bore — to tire
  5. land — to come down
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. net — after costs
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bore — to drill
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. mug — a cup
  18. land — ground
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. land — a country
  23. mug — a face
  24. plane — a tool

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