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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. clip — to cut
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. drill — army training
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bore — to tire
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. spell — a short time
  13. drill — the tool
  14. clip — a video
  15. bore — to drill
  16. spell — magic
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. squash — the sport
  19. saw — the tool
  20. squash — to crush
  21. clip — for paper
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. spell — letters

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