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 116 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: swing · rash · hide · kid · saw · wax · leaves · bear

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rash — a series
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — to tease
  9. saw — the tool
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. saw — the tool
  13. kid — child
  14. rash — hasty
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wax — to grow
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. swing — music
  24. swing — in golf

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