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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. foot — a measure
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fall — to drop
  6. club — for dancing
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. fall — the season
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. club — for golf
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wax — to grow
  14. spring — a coil
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. rush — hurry
  18. club — a group
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — of water

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