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 120 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. content — the amount
  5. hand — help
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. net — after costs
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. dip — to sink
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. content — happy
  13. craft — boats
  14. lie — to recline
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. net — in sport
  19. hand — in cards
  20. net — for catching
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. wax — to grow
  23. craft — a skill
  24. lie — an untruth

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