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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. foot — a measure
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bank — for money
  6. fine — all right
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. fine — high quality
  14. pass — a permit
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bank — for money
  18. mate — to breed
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bank — of a river
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mate — a friend

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