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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. sharp — clever
  3. wax — to grow
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — a contest
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. drill — army training
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. fall — to drop
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — a line
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. drill — a practice
  19. fall — the season
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. row — to paddle

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