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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. face — part of the head
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. tear — to rip
  6. squash — to crush
  7. suit — in cards
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bank — for money
  10. squash — the sport
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. chest — a box
  13. wax — to grow
  14. rush — hurry
  15. tear — from crying
  16. face — to confront
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bank — for money
  20. face — to point toward
  21. tear — from crying
  22. suit — to fit
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. suit — clothes

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