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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · bore · wax · spell · current · pitch · mate · fall

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. fall — the season
  3. mate — a partner
  4. spell — magic
  5. current — of water
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. mate — a friend
  12. content — happy
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bore — to drill
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. content — the amount
  19. fall — to drop
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — electric
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wax — to grow

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