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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. season — in sport
  4. bound — certain
  5. bank — for money
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bound — tied together
  8. hand — in cards
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bank — for money
  12. wax — to grow
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bat — the animal
  17. season — of the year
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bound — obliged
  22. hand — help
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. shower — to wash

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