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 116 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. mate — a partner
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. mate — to breed
  6. staff — employees
  7. lie — to recline
  8. hand — in cards
  9. mate — a friend
  10. wax — to grow
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. hand — help
  15. drill — army training
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wake — a trail
  20. staff — a stick
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. staff — employees
  24. lie — an untruth

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