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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. drill — a practice
  7. wax — to grow
  8. ground — a position
  9. mark — a trace
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bank — for money
  12. ground — the earth
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bank — for money
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. drill — army training
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bear — the animal

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