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: swing · bore · calf · charge · court · degree · wax · deal

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. swing — to play on
  4. wax — to grow
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. swing — music
  7. degree — temperature
  8. court — for sport
  9. charge — electricity
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bore — to tire
  13. degree — an amount
  14. court — of a king
  15. charge — in control
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. degree — from a university
  18. swing — in golf
  19. deal — to handle
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. charge — a price
  24. court — of law

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