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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. suit — in cards
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — to point toward
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. face — part of the head
  9. toast — bread
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. wax — to grow
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. suit — clothes
  15. roll — a list
  16. rash — hasty
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. roll — a cake
  20. suit — to fit
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. rash — a series
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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