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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: staff · plane · shower · bank · cold · wax

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. staff — employees
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bank — for money
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. staff — a stick
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. plane — a tool
  10. cold — not warm
  11. shower — rain
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. cold — an illness
  15. staff — employees
  16. bank — of a river
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow

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