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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. suit — in cards
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. fall — to drop
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. wax — to grow
  10. band — a ring
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. rush — hurry
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. key — the most important part
  15. suit — clothes
  16. key — in music
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. fall — the season
  20. band — a music group
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. key — for a lock
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. kick — in football

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