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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cue — a signal
  9. race — humankind
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wax — to grow
  12. cue — a hint
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — the arms race
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bear — the animal
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — a short time
  19. kick — in football
  20. cue — for pool
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. sharp — clever
  24. kick — a thrill

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