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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mug — a cup
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — of ice
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. mug — to rob
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. mug — a face
  15. craft — a skill
  16. land — a country
  17. cap — a lid
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. craft — boats
  20. wax — to grow
  21. tear — from crying
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. land — to come down
  24. coach — a trainer

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