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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — hurry
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. land — ground
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pop — music
  10. land — a country
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. pop — to visit
  16. can — a tin
  17. wound — an injury
  18. mine — for digging
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — a safe
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pop — soda

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