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 120 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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. shower — to wash
  4. content — happy
  5. press — newspapers
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. current — electric
  12. press — a publisher
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hand — in cards
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. press — to push
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. content — the amount
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — help
  24. shower — rain

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