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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. mate — to breed
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. ground — crushed
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wax — to grow
  8. tear — from crying
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. mug — a cup
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. tear — to rip
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. ground — a position
  17. mug — to rob
  18. scale — in music
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. mate — a partner
  21. scale — size or range
  22. ground — the earth
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mug — a face

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