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: bore · wax · spell · tear · sharp · straw · lean · tube

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. wax — to grow
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bore — to tire
  6. tube — a container
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bore — to drill
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. spell — a short time
  16. tear — from crying
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. lean — to bend
  19. sharp — clever
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. spell — letters
  22. tear — to rip
  23. lean — thin
  24. spell — magic

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