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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ground — the earth
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cell — a phone
  8. ground — a position
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. ground — crushed
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. cell — in biology
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bear — the animal
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. kick — in football
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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