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 120 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: wax · bore · face · spell · dip · cold · safe · file

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bore — to tire
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bore — to drill
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. dip — to sink
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — part of the head
  10. file — a line of people
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. spell — magic
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. file — a document
  16. spell — letters
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cold — an illness
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. face — to point toward
  23. file — a tool
  24. wax — to grow

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