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 · wax · pitch · straw · shower · rash · lean · arm

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. rash — hasty
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pitch — completely
  7. tear — from crying
  8. shower — to wash
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. shower — rain
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. wax — to grow
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. rash — on the skin

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