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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. march — the month
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. cue — a hint
  9. rash — hasty
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. march — the month
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cue — for pool
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wax — to grow
  16. spring — the season
  17. cue — a signal
  18. march — music
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. spring — a coil
  23. rash — a series
  24. spring — of water

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