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 was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wax — to grow
  6. mate — a partner
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mate — a friend
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. snap — to click
  12. net — for catching
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mate — to breed
  15. net — in sport
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. arm — part of the body

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