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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  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. chair — a leader
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. lean — thin
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pop — to visit
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. lean — to bend
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. pop — music
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. kick — in football
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pop — soda
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. tear — to rip
  23. wake — a trail
  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