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 120 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: tear · cap · fine · bore · mark · wound · wave · wax

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  2. bore — to tire
  3. cap — a lid
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. cap — a hat
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mark — a grade
  10. tear — to rip
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mark — a trace
  14. fine — high quality
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. fine — all right
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bore — to drill
  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