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 116 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: drill · net · mine · wax · tear · trunk · wind · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. net — after costs
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — the tool
  6. tear — to rip
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. drill — a practice
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. net — for catching
  12. tear — from crying
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. fork — in a road
  16. wax — to grow
  17. mine — for digging
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. wind — moving air
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. net — in sport

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