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 116 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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. spring — a coil
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bore — to tire
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. suit — in cards
  8. squash — to crush
  9. fork — in a road
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — the sport
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — of water
  16. bore — to drill
  17. game — a match
  18. suit — to fit
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bore — gave birth

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