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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. wax — to grow
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bore — to tire
  7. drill — a practice
  8. band — a ring
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. mug — to rob
  13. drill — army training
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. band — a music group
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bore — to drill
  21. perch — the fish
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — a face
  24. drill — the tool

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