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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. wax — to grow
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — to push
  6. bore — to drill
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. mug — to rob
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. shower — rain
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bat — the animal
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. mug — a face
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. mug — a cup
  20. drill — a practice
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bat — in an idiom

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