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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. saw — the tool
  4. face — part of the head
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. firm — decided
  10. face — to point toward
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — steady
  15. wake — a trail
  16. file — a document
  17. stock — goods
  18. file — a tool
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. file — a line of people
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stock — shares

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