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: bore · nail · chip · field · arm · pound · wax · ball

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bore — to tire
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wax — to grow
  5. ball — a dance
  6. field — for sport
  7. chip — for betting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pound — a weight
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. field — a subject
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bore — to drill
  24. field — farmland

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