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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rash — a series
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rash — hasty
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. fork — in a road
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. wax — to grow

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