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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bore — to drill
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bore — to tire
  9. can — to be able to
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rule — a law
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — in cards
  18. rule — government
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. leaves — lets stay

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