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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mate — a partner
  4. shower — rain
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. race — humankind
  7. shower — to wash
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — a contest
  11. mate — a friend
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. mate — to breed
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — to shout
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. saw — the tool

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