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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  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. wax — for sculpting
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. march — the month
  5. content — the amount
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. march — the month
  9. pop — to visit
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. stand — to bear
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wax — to grow
  20. march — music
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. content — happy
  23. rush — a thrill
  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