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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — the earth
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. band — a music group
  9. shower — to wash
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. band — a ring
  14. bear — the animal
  15. shower — rain
  16. drill — the tool
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. ground — crushed
  21. drill — army training
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bear — the animal
  24. leaves — of a tree

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