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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. kick — in football
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mug — a face
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. root — the cause
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. root — of a plant
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wound — an injury
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. row — a line
  13. mug — a cup
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mug — to rob
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. root — of a word
  19. wound — an injury
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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