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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. rock — a stone
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cold — not warm
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. rock — music
  16. lie — to recline
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stem — to come from
  21. snap — to click
  22. cold — an illness
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. stem — of a plant

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