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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mine — for digging
  3. game — wild animals
  4. mug — a cup
  5. game — a match
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a face
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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