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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bank — for money
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bore — to drill
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bank — of a river
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bank — for money
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bore — to tire

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