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 · drill · cold · ball · mark · wax · temple · bore

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. drill — army training
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bore — to tire
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a great time
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. drill — a practice
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cold — an illness
  14. cold — not warm
  15. ball — a dance
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wax — to grow
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. drill — the tool
  24. mark — a grade

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