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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. tube — a container
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — there
  7. vault — a safe
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. present — a gift
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. tube — the underground
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. season — of the year
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. season — in sport
  23. wax — to grow
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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