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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bore — to drill
  3. stock — shares
  4. kid — child
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. kid — to tease
  13. cell — in biology
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bore — to tire
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cell — a phone
  19. stock — goods
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. wind — moving air
  22. snap — to click
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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