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: deal · wax · shower · firm · stem · pop · hide · wind

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. wind — moving air
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. shower — rain
  6. stem — to come from
  7. wax — to grow
  8. firm — steady
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. deal — to handle
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. shower — to wash
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pop — soda
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. firm — a company
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. firm — decided
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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