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 120 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bore — to drill
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. rest — a break
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bound — tied together
  12. mark — a grade
  13. capital — a city
  14. bore — to tire
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. capital — money
  24. bound — certain

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