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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bank — for money
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. land — a country
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. prune — to trim
  9. land — to come down
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. land — ground
  14. pitch — completely
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bank — for money
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — music
  24. bank — of a river

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