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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. can — a tin
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wind — moving air
  6. hand — help
  7. fall — the season
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. can — a tin
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. deal — to handle
  17. game — a match
  18. fall — to drop
  19. game — wild animals
  20. can — to be able to
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. fall — to drop
  24. plane — a tool

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