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: tear · perch · pitcher · ball · pop · wax · lash · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pop — soda
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. tear — to rip
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — music
  17. wax — to grow
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. tear — from crying
  21. ball — a dance
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. stand — to bear
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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