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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. march — the month
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. march — music
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. tear — to rip
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. date — the fruit
  13. march — the month
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bear — the animal
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. tear — from crying

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