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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. wax — to grow
  3. suit — clothes
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. court — for sport
  14. pit — in a race
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wind — moving air
  18. suit — in cards
  19. pit — a hole
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. court — of a king
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. court — of law
  24. bear — to put up with

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