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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bore — to drill
  4. squash — to crush
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. kid — to tease
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. squash — the sport
  17. saw — the tool
  18. kid — child
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bore — to tire
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pitcher — a jug

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