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: pit · face · wax · wind · saw · shower · rash · jam

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. shower — rain
  3. wax — to grow
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pit — a hole
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. rash — hasty
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. face — to confront
  12. pit — in a race
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. face — to point toward
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. face — part of the head
  23. rash — a series
  24. shower — to wash

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