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 120 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. cue — for pool
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bore — to drill
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. capital — money
  14. craft — boats
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. craft — a skill
  17. scale — size or range
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — a city
  20. cue — a signal
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bore — to tire
  23. perch — the fish
  24. cue — a hint

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