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: rush · land · hide · game · hand · sharp · wax · stem

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. sharp — clever
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — ground
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. stem — to come from
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. wax — to grow
  20. rush — hurry
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hand — help
  23. land — a country
  24. stem — a stem cell

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