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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — clothes
  3. land — ground
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. tear — from crying
  9. land — a country
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fall — to drop
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bass — low music
  17. suit — to fit
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. land — to come down
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. tear — to rip
  24. wax — in the ear

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