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 116 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. pit — in a race
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. present — the time now
  7. wax — to grow
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. present — there
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. mine — for digging
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. present — a gift
  23. bore — to drill
  24. rush — hurry

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