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 120 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. land — a country
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. ground — crushed
  8. wound — an injury
  9. land — ground
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. wax — to grow
  12. ground — the earth
  13. object — to protest
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. object — a thing
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. land — to come down
  18. deal — to handle
  19. ground — a position
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. object — an aim
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. deal — a big deal

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