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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. hand — in cards
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. hand — help
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. cold — not warm
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. saw — the tool
  14. lie — to recline
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. spring — a coil
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — of water
  21. cold — an illness
  22. pass — a permit
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. lie — an untruth

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