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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. club — for golf
  3. degree — an amount
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. degree — from a university
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. tear — from crying
  9. club — for dancing
  10. mark — a grade
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bore — to tire
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. club — a group
  18. tear — from crying
  19. dip — to sink
  20. tear — to rip
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. degree — temperature

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