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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. date — the fruit
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. fine — all right
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. land — ground
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. snap — to click
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. stem — to come from
  22. land — a country
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. land — to come down

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