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: hide · shower · wax · cap · deal · craft · snap · roll

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. shower — to wash
  3. snap — to click
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. craft — boats
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. craft — a skill
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. cap — a lid
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. wax — to grow
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. roll — a list
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. deal — to handle
  21. cap — of ice
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. cap — a hat

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