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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a friend
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stem — to come from
  16. tube — a container
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. tube — the underground
  20. wax — to grow
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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