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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. fine — all right
  6. spell — letters
  7. fine — high quality
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. spell — magic
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. spell — a short time
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. hand — help
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bear — the animal

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