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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. present — there
  3. fine — all right
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. stand — to bear
  6. cue — a signal
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — to paddle
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. present — a gift
  12. wax — to grow
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. tear — from crying
  15. vault — a safe
  16. tear — from crying
  17. cue — a hint
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. fine — high quality
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. cue — for pool
  23. tear — to rip
  24. present — the time now

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