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 116 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a line of people
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cap — a lid
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. wax — to grow
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bore — to tire
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. sharp — clever
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. file — a tool
  24. nail — for a hammer

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