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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. mate — a partner
  3. hand — in cards
  4. spell — letters
  5. mug — a face
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. root — of a plant
  8. mate — to breed
  9. wax — to grow
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mug — to rob
  12. hand — help
  13. root — the cause
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. mug — a cup
  16. spell — magic
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. root — of a word

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