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 120 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: leaves · key · wax · ball · wound · ground · shower · season

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. wax — to grow
  3. shower — rain
  4. key — in music
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. ground — crushed
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. shower — to wash
  10. key — the most important part
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. season — of the year
  13. key — for a lock
  14. ground — the earth
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. ground — a position
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. season — in sport
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. ball — a dance
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — lets stay

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