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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. last — final
  7. last — finally
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stock — goods
  11. spell — letters
  12. last — to go on
  13. wax — to grow
  14. lean — to bend
  15. spell — a short time
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. spell — magic
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. stock — shares
  21. lie — to recline
  22. row — to paddle
  23. lean — thin
  24. nail — for a hammer

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