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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. lean — thin
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. drill — army training
  8. key — in music
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. drill — the tool
  14. wind — moving air
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. lean — to bend
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wax — to grow
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. drill — a practice
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. key — the most important part
  24. temple — side of the head

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