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 120 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: hide · hand · cabinet · wax · bear · perch · rest · tube

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. tube — the underground
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. hand — help
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. wax — to grow
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rest — what's left
  18. hand — in cards
  19. rest — a break
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bear — the animal
  22. tube — a container
  23. perch — the fish
  24. tube — in a tire

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