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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. mate — a friend
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. rush — hurry
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. wax — to grow
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. mate — a partner
  17. clip — to cut
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. net — for catching
  23. clip — a video
  24. clip — for paper

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