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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. ground — crushed
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. ground — the earth
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — thin
  9. spring — of water
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. spring — the season
  12. wax — to grow
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wound — an injury
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. file — a document
  18. ground — a position
  19. file — a tool
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. spring — a coil
  24. wound — an injury

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