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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. march — music
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. net — after costs
  6. cap — a lid
  7. net — for catching
  8. march — the month
  9. mate — a friend
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. cap — a hat
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bore — to tire
  16. lie — to recline
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. net — in sport
  19. march — the month
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bore — to drill
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cap — of ice

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