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 120 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. hand — help
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. content — happy
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. content — the amount
  10. lean — to bend
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stem — to come from
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bound — tied together
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. wax — to grow
  21. lean — thin
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. cabinet — ministers

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