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 120 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. pop — soda
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. face — to confront
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pop — music
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. wax — to grow
  13. shower — rain
  14. saw — the tool
  15. face — part of the head
  16. pop — to visit
  17. snap — to click
  18. shower — to wash
  19. face — to point toward
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. mine — for digging
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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