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 116 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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. wax — to grow
  8. can — a tin
  9. perch — the fish
  10. tear — from crying
  11. shower — to wash
  12. swing — in golf
  13. can — to be able to
  14. shower — rain
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. can — a tin
  17. rush — hurry
  18. tear — to rip
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. tear — from crying
  22. dip — to sink
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. dip — a sauce

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