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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  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. face — part of the head
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. staff — a stick
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. land — ground
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. land — to come down
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wind — moving air
  15. face — to point toward
  16. staff — employees
  17. land — a country
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. face — to confront
  21. staff — employees
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. wind — moving air
  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