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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rock — a stone
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. face — to point toward
  10. wax — to grow
  11. fall — the season
  12. face — to confront
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rock — music
  19. face — part of the head
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. cold — not warm
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. cold — the Cold War

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