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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. spring — a coil
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. season — in sport
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. spring — of water
  8. tear — from crying
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. cap — a lid
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. tear — to rip
  14. cap — of ice
  15. spring — the season
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. cap — a hat
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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