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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bass — the fish
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bound — obliged
  5. rest — a break
  6. bore — to drill
  7. can — a tin
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. bass — low music
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bound — certain
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. season — of the year
  17. hand — in cards
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bound — tied together
  21. hand — help
  22. can — a tin
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to tire

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