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 120 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. mug — a cup
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. prune — to trim
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. mug — to rob
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. degree — from a university
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — an amount
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. lie — to recline
  18. deal — to handle
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. fine — high quality
  22. perch — the fish
  23. mug — a face
  24. lie — an untruth

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