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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  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. last — final
  2. pass — a permit
  3. ground — the earth
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bank — for money
  9. wax — to grow
  10. last — to go on
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bank — for money
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. last — finally
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. tear — from crying
  21. ground — a position
  22. row — a line
  23. row — to paddle
  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