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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. cell — in biology
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wax — to grow
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. snap — to click
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. cue — for pool
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. hide — to keep secret

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