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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. staff — employees
  3. content — happy
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. staff — a stick
  6. pop — to visit
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fall — the season
  9. wax — to grow
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pop — soda
  15. bank — for money
  16. content — the amount
  17. pop — music
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. staff — employees
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. calf — a young animal

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