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 120 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. shower — rain
  5. capital — a city
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. shower — to wash
  10. mate — a friend
  11. pass — a permit
  12. mate — a partner
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. cell — a phone
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. mate — to breed
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. capital — money
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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