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's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — a phone
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. staff — a stick
  12. cell — in biology
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. hand — in cards
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. lie — to recline

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