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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. shower — rain
  4. club — for golf
  5. shower — to wash
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. file — a line of people
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. club — for dancing
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. file — a document
  18. wake — a trail
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. club — a group
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. mine — for digging
  24. wax — to grow

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