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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. tube — the underground
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. shower — rain
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to sink
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. tube — a container
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wake — a trail
  19. shower — to wash
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wax — to grow

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