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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bank — of a river
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. staff — employees
  5. sharp — clever
  6. lean — to bend
  7. fine — all right
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. shower — to wash
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. staff — employees
  17. bank — for money
  18. shower — rain
  19. lean — thin
  20. fine — high quality
  21. wax — to grow
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bank — for money

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