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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. firm — a company
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rush — hurry
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. mate — a friend
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. mate — to breed
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bear — the animal
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — a position
  18. firm — decided
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. firm — steady
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. ground — crushed
  24. plane — a tool

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