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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. firm — steady
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — part of the head
  7. tube — a container
  8. firm — decided
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. tube — the underground
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mine — for digging
  16. face — to point toward
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. stem — to come from
  24. firm — a company

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