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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. cue — a hint
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. shower — rain
  5. net — for catching
  6. cue — a signal
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. net — after costs
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. spell — a short time
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. cue — for pool
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. shower — to wash
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. net — in sport

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