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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. drill — a practice
  3. mug — to rob
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. hand — in cards
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mug — a cup
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — a measure
  14. perch — the fish
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bore — to drill
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. mug — a face
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bore — to tire
  22. drill — army training
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. hand — help

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