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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. cell — a phone
  3. branch — a division
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. suit — clothes
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. suit — to fit
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. wax — to grow
  15. snap — to click
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. suit — in cards
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bulb — for light
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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