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: nail · field · wax · stick · staff · bore · lie · prune

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. lie — to recline
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. field — for sport
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bore — to drill
  9. field — farmland
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. field — a subject
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. staff — employees

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