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: scale · tube · fork · bore · wax · roll · tear · drill

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. drill — army training
  4. roll — a cake
  5. scale — size or range
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. wax — to grow
  8. scale — in music
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bore — to tire
  11. tear — to rip
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. drill — a practice
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. tube — a container
  18. tear — from crying
  19. roll — a list
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bore — to drill
  22. fork — in a road
  23. drill — the tool
  24. tear — from crying

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