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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. wax — to grow
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — to protest
  6. sharp — clever
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. file — a line of people
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bore — to tire
  15. file — a document
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. file — a tool
  19. board — a committee
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — to get on
  24. lash — to lash out

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