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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lean — thin
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. chair — a leader
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. squash — to crush
  9. court — of a king
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. lean — to bend
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. squash — the sport
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. court — for sport
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bass — low music
  22. court — of law
  23. date — the fruit
  24. lean — to rest against

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