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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. staff — employees
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. plane — a tool
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. file — a document
  7. shower — to wash
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. staff — a stick
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. staff — employees
  17. file — a tool
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. shower — rain
  22. pass — a permit
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. pass — to spend time

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