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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. rock — music
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rock — a stone
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. wax — to grow
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. cap — a lid
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. cap — of ice
  15. fall — the season
  16. band — a ring
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. dip — to sink
  21. content — happy
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. band — a music group
  24. content — the amount

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