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 116 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. ground — crushed
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. staff — employees
  6. drill — the tool
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rush — hurry
  12. staff — a stick
  13. drill — army training
  14. lie — to recline
  15. ground — a position
  16. drill — a practice
  17. ground — the earth
  18. staff — employees
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wax — to grow
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rest — a break
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. lie — an untruth

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