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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. net — in sport
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. can — a tin
  8. net — after costs
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rock — music
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. can — to be able to
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. net — for catching
  21. file — a document
  22. rock — a stone
  23. can — a tin
  24. bowl — to roll

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