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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. face — part of the head
  16. wax — to grow
  17. dip — to sink
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. stand — to bear
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — to point toward
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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