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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. ground — the earth
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. ground — a position
  12. bat — the animal
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ground — crushed
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. lie — to recline

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