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: cold · mark · wind · spring · cabinet · lie · can · wax

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cold — not warm
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mark — a grade
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. can — a tin
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wind — moving air
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. can — to be able to
  14. spring — of water
  15. cold — an illness
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. spring — the season
  18. wax — to grow
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. spring — a coil
  21. can — a tin
  22. lie — to recline
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wind — to turn a key

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