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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — the earth
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. spell — a short time
  6. shower — rain
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. wax — to grow
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. hand — in cards
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. hand — help
  17. spell — magic
  18. staff — a stick
  19. spell — letters
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. ground — crushed

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