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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bound — tied together
  3. deal — to handle
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bound — obliged
  6. mate — a partner
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. lean — to bend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. lean — thin
  11. spell — magic
  12. current — electric
  13. wax — to grow
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. spell — letters
  16. current — of water
  17. bound — certain
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. current — happening now
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. kid — to tease
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. kid — child

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