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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. drill — the tool
  4. court — of law
  5. bore — to tire
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rest — a break
  9. drill — a practice
  10. rest — what's left
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. drill — army training
  15. mark — a trace
  16. court — of a king
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bore — to drill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. court — for sport
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. rest — what's left

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