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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bore — to tire
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. current — happening now
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. board — a committee
  9. spell — a short time
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bark — to shout
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. current — of water
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — to get on
  16. current — electric
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. spell — magic
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. spell — letters
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bore — to drill

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