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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. rest — what's left
  8. tear — from crying
  9. dip — to sink
  10. wax — to grow
  11. tear — to rip
  12. rest — a break
  13. cap — of ice
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rest — what's left
  16. root — of a word
  17. cap — a lid
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. cap — a hat
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a plant
  24. tear — from crying

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