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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. wax — to grow
  4. net — after costs
  5. wound — an injury
  6. net — for catching
  7. snap — to click
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. suit — in cards
  10. chest — of your body
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. present — there
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. wound — an injury
  18. suit — to fit
  19. chest — of your body
  20. suit — clothes
  21. present — the time now
  22. net — in sport
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. present — a gift

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