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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. spring — the season
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — an aim
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. cue — a hint
  7. wax — to grow
  8. cue — for pool
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. spring — a coil
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. object — to protest
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. spring — of water
  18. march — the month
  19. cue — a signal
  20. march — the month
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wound — an injury
  24. march — music

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