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 116 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: safe · clip · bore · face · capital · wax · file · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bore — to tire
  3. face — to confront
  4. bore — to drill
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. face — to point toward
  9. wax — to grow
  10. capital — a city
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — money
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — for paper
  17. face — part of the head
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. clip — a video
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a document
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. wax — for sculpting

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