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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. mate — a partner
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. present — a gift
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. shower — to wash
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. shower — rain
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bore — to tire
  18. mate — to breed
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. present — there
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. present — the time now
  24. leaves — lets stay

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