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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. shower — rain
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. shower — to wash
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. wax — to grow
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. season — in sport
  14. mine — for digging
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. season — of the year
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. fan — to cool the air

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