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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. field — farmland
  7. mug — a face
  8. tear — to rip
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. field — for sport
  11. mug — a cup
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. wax — to grow
  15. fall — the season
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. field — a subject
  18. cap — a lid
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bank — of a river
  24. tear — from crying

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