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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. net — after costs
  6. land — ground
  7. chip — to eat
  8. wax — to grow
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. prune — to trim
  16. chip — for betting
  17. craft — a skill
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — a country
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. net — for catching
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. craft — boats
  24. net — in sport

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