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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. chest — a box
  3. kid — to tease
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fork — in a road
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. chest — of your body
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wax — to grow
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. roll — a list
  20. chest — of your body
  21. roll — a cake
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. kid — child

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