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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. mine — for digging
  3. scale — in music
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bank — of a river
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bank — for money
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. kid — child
  11. bank — for money
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. kid — to tease
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bore — to drill
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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