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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. saw — the tool
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. capital — a city
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cell — in biology
  11. pass — a permit
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. wax — to grow
  18. cell — a phone
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. saw — the tool

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