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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wax — to grow
  8. file — a document
  9. root — of a plant
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. file — a tool
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. shower — rain
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. file — a line of people
  19. root — of a word
  20. shower — to wash
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. root — the cause
  24. fall — the season

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