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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. fall — to drop
  3. hand — in cards
  4. fall — the season
  5. root — of a plant
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. drill — a practice
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. hand — help
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — army training
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a word
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. fall — to drop
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. hand — part of the body

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