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: mine · fine · wax · nail · bear · lie · bark · root

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mine — for digging
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fine — all right
  5. root — the cause
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. lie — to recline
  11. root — of a word
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. root — of a plant
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. fine — high quality
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bark — to shout
  24. lie — an untruth

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