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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. tube — the underground
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. chip — for betting
  6. wax — to grow
  7. squash — to crush
  8. club — a group
  9. spring — the season
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. squash — the sport
  12. tube — a container
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chip — to eat
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. spring — of water
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. club — for dancing
  23. spring — a coil
  24. club — for golf

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