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

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. root — of a plant
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. content — happy
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. wake — a trail
  10. mate — to breed
  11. content — the amount
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. root — the cause
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. mate — a friend
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — in a race
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. root — of a word
  24. wax — to grow

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