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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. pitch — completely
  3. wax — to grow
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. root — of a word
  6. mate — a friend
  7. board — to get on
  8. season — in sport
  9. lean — thin
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. season — of the year
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. mate — to breed
  15. lean — to bend
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. board — a committee
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. tube — the underground
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — the cause
  23. tube — a container
  24. mate — a partner

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