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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bore — to tire
  4. squash — to crush
  5. band — a ring
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bass — the fish
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. squash — the sport
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. mug — a face
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. ground — a position
  21. band — a music group
  22. ground — the earth
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bass — low music

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