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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. board — to get on
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pop — to visit
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pitch — completely
  11. board — a committee
  12. bore — to tire
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. pop — music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bore — to drill
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. pop — soda

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