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 116 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. suit — in cards
  5. drill — army training
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. snap — to click
  8. suit — to fit
  9. can — a tin
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. swing — in golf
  12. can — to be able to
  13. swing — to play on
  14. wax — to grow
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. drill — a practice
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. swing — music
  20. rush — hurry
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. can — a tin
  23. drill — the tool
  24. suit — clothes

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