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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. track — a song
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. stem — to come from
  7. sharp — clever
  8. swing — music
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. swing — in golf
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. track — a path
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. shower — to wash
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. track — to keep track
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a dance
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. swing — to play on
  24. shower — rain

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