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 120 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. ball — a dance
  6. fall — the season
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. sharp — clever
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stem — to come from
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bark — to shout
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. sharp — with an edge

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