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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pass — a permit
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — rain
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. rush — hurry
  10. last — finally
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. last — to go on
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — from crying
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. wax — to grow
  22. tear — to rip
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. last — final

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