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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. suit — to fit
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. face — to confront
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. face — part of the head
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. content — happy
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. suit — clothes
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wind — moving air
  14. content — the amount
  15. wax — to grow
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. face — to point toward
  18. suit — in cards
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. pound — a weight
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pound — for dogs

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