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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. land — ground
  5. pop — soda
  6. can — a tin
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. land — to come down
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. pop — to visit
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bat — the animal
  20. wax — to grow
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pop — music
  23. land — a country
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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