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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. last — final
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wax — to grow
  6. deal — to handle
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — to wash
  9. net — in sport
  10. last — to go on
  11. shower — rain
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. lean — thin
  14. net — after costs
  15. dip — to sink
  16. net — for catching
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. last — finally
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to dunk

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