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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. cap — of ice
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bank — for money
  5. cap — a lid
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bank — of a river
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. race — humankind
  14. squash — the sport
  15. cap — a hat
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wax — to grow
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bank — for money
  20. race — a contest
  21. can — a tin
  22. bat — the animal
  23. can — a tin
  24. wake — before a funeral

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