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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. ground — crushed
  3. season — of the year
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. ground — a position
  6. bore — to tire
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bore — to drill
  15. wake — a trail
  16. date — the fruit
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. season — in sport
  21. ground — the earth
  22. wax — to grow
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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