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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  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. saw — past of 'see'
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. spring — a coil
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wax — to grow
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. cold — not warm
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. spring — the season
  11. bark — to shout
  12. spring — of water
  13. cold — an illness
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. root — the cause
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — of a word
  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