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: rock · wax · fork · lean · cue · shower · bat · plane

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. lean — thin
  7. rock — a stone
  8. lean — to bend
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bat — the animal
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. fork — in a road
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — for pool
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — rain
  21. wax — to grow
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. rock — music

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