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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rush — hurry
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. present — a gift
  9. bore — to drill
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bound — obliged
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. present — there
  17. bass — the fish
  18. squash — the sport
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bound — tied together
  22. present — the time now
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bound — certain

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