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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. wax — to grow
  3. object — to protest
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. object — an aim
  7. bore — to drill
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mug — a face
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bore — to tire
  12. object — a thing
  13. chest — a box
  14. board — a committee
  15. mug — to rob
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. mug — a cup
  22. chest — of your body
  23. wake — a trail
  24. board — to get on

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