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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bear — the animal
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. dip — to sink
  13. root — the cause
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. root — of a word
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bear — the animal
  20. root — of a plant
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. leaves — of a tree

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