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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. rest — what's left
  3. roll — a list
  4. saw — the tool
  5. roll — a cake
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. wax — to grow
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. spring — of water
  16. ball — a dance
  17. spring — a coil
  18. lean — thin
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. rest — a break
  21. ball — a great time
  22. spring — the season
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. lean — to bend

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