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: rush · present · bore · shower · band · firm · wax · toast

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bore — to drill
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. firm — a company
  7. band — a music group
  8. firm — decided
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. band — a ring
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. toast — bread
  14. shower — to wash
  15. wax — to grow
  16. present — the time now
  17. firm — steady
  18. shower — rain
  19. present — there
  20. bore — to tire
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. present — a gift
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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