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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. wind — moving air
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bank — of a river
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wind — moving air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bank — for money
  15. spell — magic
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bank — for money
  20. mark — a trace
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. spell — letters
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. spell — a short time

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