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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bulb — for light
  10. tube — a container
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. tube — the underground
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bulb — for light
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. dip — to sink
  19. saw — the tool
  20. sharp — clever
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. saw — 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