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 124 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. wax — to grow
  6. object — an aim
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. cue — a hint
  10. spring — the season
  11. bear — the animal
  12. hand — help
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — a thing
  15. march — music
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. cue — for pool
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. spring — of water
  22. cue — a signal
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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