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: shower · wax · leaves · scale · wake · kick · ground · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. shower — to wash
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. scale — size or range
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. shower — rain
  8. ground — a position
  9. kick — in football
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. wake — a trail
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. scale — in music
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. wax — to grow
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. ground — the earth
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. leaves — of a tree

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