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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. firm — steady
  3. cell — a phone
  4. pit — a hole
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. wake — a trail
  7. net — after costs
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pit — in a race
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bark — to shout
  14. net — for catching
  15. wax — to grow
  16. firm — decided
  17. cell — in biology
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. firm — a company
  23. net — in sport
  24. wax — for sculpting

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