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: stick · craft · wax · cue · bore · roll · mine · lash

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — for pool
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. craft — a skill
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. craft — boats
  7. mine — for digging
  8. roll — a cake
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bore — to drill
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bore — to tire
  17. cue — a signal
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. wax — to grow
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. roll — a list
  24. bore — gave birth

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