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 116 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. club — for golf
  8. stand — to bear
  9. rush — hurry
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. dip — to sink
  13. wax — to grow
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. club — a group
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. lie — to recline
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. wound — an injury
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. club — for dancing
  24. chair — a professorship

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