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: tube · snap · cell · bore · spell · tear · wax · bulb

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. cell — a phone
  3. snap — to click
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. spell — letters
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bulb — for light
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bulb — for light
  16. tube — a container
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — magic
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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