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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — army training
  7. tear — from crying
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. squash — to crush
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. sharp — clever
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. tear — to rip
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — hurry
  19. drill — the tool
  20. squash — the sport
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wax — for sculpting

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