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 124 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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bound — tied together
  4. fork — in a road
  5. perch — the fish
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. fall — to drop
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bound — certain
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bound — obliged
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. scale — in music
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. fall — the season
  18. scale — size or range
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. plane — in geometry

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