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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bore — to drill
  4. shower — to wash
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. drill — a practice
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. drill — the tool
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. race — a contest
  14. shower — rain
  15. race — the arms race
  16. present — there
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bore — to tire
  22. drill — army training
  23. race — humankind
  24. present — the time now

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