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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. wax — to grow
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. shower — to wash
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bank — for money
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bat — the animal
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bank — of a river
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bank — for money
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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