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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. wax — to grow
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — for digging
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. pound — a weight
  10. shower — rain
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. mug — to rob
  17. club — for golf
  18. mug — a cup
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — a group
  24. mug — a face

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