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: wax · ruler · bore · content · tear · hand · bat · bass

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. content — the amount
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bat — the animal
  10. tear — to rip
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bass — the fish
  14. hand — help
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bore — to drill
  19. tear — from crying
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bass — low music
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bore — gave birth

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