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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. last — finally
  4. fork — in a road
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. lean — to bend
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. last — final
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. spell — magic
  12. last — to go on
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. spell — a short time
  16. wax — to grow
  17. toast — bread
  18. swing — to play on
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. swing — in golf
  21. spell — letters
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. swing — music
  24. safe — out of danger

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