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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. band — a ring
  3. present — the time now
  4. bore — to tire
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. tube — a container
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bore — to drill
  10. tube — the underground
  11. scale — in music
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a list
  17. scale — size or range
  18. craft — boats
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. craft — a skill
  21. present — there
  22. band — a music group
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. roll — a cake

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