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: bore · wax · sharp · leaves · present · stick · mug · spring

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mug — a face
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mug — to rob
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. spring — the season
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. mug — a cup
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. present — there
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. sharp — clever
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. spring — of water
  22. bore — to drill
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. present — the time now

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