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: ruler · court · bank · wax · spell · hide · cell · bore

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. spell — magic
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. court — for sport
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. spell — letters
  10. court — of law
  11. bank — of a river
  12. court — of a king
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bore — to drill
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bore — to tire
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. spell — a short time
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bank — for money
  24. cell — in biology

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