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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. foot — a measure
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. object — a thing
  5. pit — a hole
  6. object — an aim
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. wax — to grow
  9. capital — money
  10. pit — in a race
  11. rock — a stone
  12. toast — bread
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. rock — music
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — a city
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. foot — the bottom

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