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 · row · rush · game · rule · clip · wax · pass

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. wax — to grow
  3. rule — a law
  4. pass — a permit
  5. clip — a video
  6. game — a match
  7. rule — government
  8. clip — for paper
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bore — to tire
  14. clip — to cut
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bore — to drill
  23. row — a line
  24. pass — to spend time

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