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 116 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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. wake — a trail
  3. spring — a coil
  4. capital — a city
  5. rest — a break
  6. spring — the season
  7. rest — what's left
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — magic
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. spring — of water
  16. rest — what's left
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. spell — letters
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wax — to grow
  22. capital — money
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wake — before a funeral

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