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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. firm — decided
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — rain
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. firm — steady
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cold — an illness
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bat — the animal
  20. wax — to grow
  21. foot — a measure
  22. firm — a company
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — the bottom

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