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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. game — a match
  3. hand — help
  4. drill — the tool
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. toast — bread
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bore — to drill
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. game — wild animals
  17. drill — a practice
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. drill — army training
  24. bore — gave birth

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