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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wake — a trail
  5. press — to push
  6. wax — to grow
  7. cue — for pool
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. tear — from crying
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. sharp — clever
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. cue — a signal
  15. press — a publisher
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. press — newspapers
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. tear — to rip
  20. kid — to tease
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. kid — child

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