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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. staff — employees
  3. track — a song
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. can — a tin
  9. staff — a stick
  10. shower — to wash
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. shower — rain
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. staff — employees
  19. swing — to play on
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. swing — music
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. swing — in golf

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