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: can · degree · cell · hand · wax · bore · swing · mug

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. mug — to rob
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. can — to be able to
  7. degree — an amount
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. cell — a phone
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bore — to drill
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — temperature
  14. swing — in golf
  15. mug — a cup
  16. can — a tin
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bore — to tire
  21. mug — a face
  22. can — a tin
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. hand — help

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