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 124 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. club — a group
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cold — not warm
  7. club — for golf
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. club — for dancing
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bore — to tire
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. pitch — completely
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to drill

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