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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. face — to confront
  3. object — a thing
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. face — to point toward
  7. object — to protest
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. stand — to bear
  11. file — a tool
  12. object — an aim
  13. wax — to grow
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. file — a line of people
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bear — the animal
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. file — a document
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bear — to put up with

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