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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bore — to drill
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — in cards
  13. can — to be able to
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. wind — moving air
  16. can — a tin
  17. sharp — clever
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bass — low music
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. can — a tin
  22. bore — to tire
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wax — in the ear

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