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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. game — a match
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. game — wild animals
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. root — of a word
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. rush — hurry
  14. root — the cause
  15. kid — child
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. kid — to tease
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. wax — to grow
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cue — a hint
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. cue — a signal

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