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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. face — to confront
  8. kick — in football
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stand — to bear
  13. face — to point toward
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. face — part of the head
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. wax — to grow
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. hand — help

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