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: game · press · snap · suit · wax · bear · dip · trunk

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. suit — in cards
  5. press — to push
  6. wax — to grow
  7. suit — to fit
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. snap — to click
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to sink
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bear — the animal
  22. suit — clothes
  23. press — newspapers
  24. game — wild animals

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