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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. spell — magic
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bark — to shout
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. spell — a short time
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. dip — to sink
  14. shower — to wash
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. wax — to grow
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. spell — letters
  20. shower — rain
  21. rule — a law
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. rule — government

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