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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rock — music
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. rock — a stone
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wax — to grow
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bore — to tire
  16. prune — to trim
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. board — to get on
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. board — a committee

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