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: pop · face · rule · leaves · mine · bore · wound · wax

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  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. mine — for digging
  2. bore — to tire
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. face — to point toward
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to confront
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rule — a law
  13. pop — music
  14. bore — to drill
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. pop — soda
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wax — to grow
  23. rule — government
  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