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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. can — a tin
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wax — to grow
  6. tear — from crying
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. can — a tin
  10. craft — a skill
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. land — to come down
  13. craft — boats
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lie — to recline
  16. tear — to rip
  17. land — a country
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. land — ground
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. can — to be able to
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. tear — from crying

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