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: mine · dip · firm · key · deal · tear · wax · bay

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. tear — from crying
  3. key — the most important part
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. key — in music
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. mine — for digging
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. tear — from crying
  12. key — for a lock
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. dip — to sink
  17. firm — steady
  18. tear — to rip
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. firm — a company
  24. dip — a sauce

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