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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. band — a ring
  3. suit — to fit
  4. band — a music group
  5. suit — clothes
  6. can — to be able to
  7. mine — for digging
  8. wax — to grow
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. board — a committee
  13. bore — to drill
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. board — to get on
  16. can — a tin
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bore — to tire
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. can — a tin
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. band — a rubber band

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