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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. season — in sport
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pop — music
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. scale — in music
  8. ground — the earth
  9. season — of the year
  10. ground — crushed
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bore — to tire
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. ground — a position
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. pop — soda
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bore — to drill

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