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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. chip — for betting
  3. lean — thin
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. cue — for pool
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. sharp — clever
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. lean — to bend
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. wax — to grow
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cue — a signal
  18. chip — to eat
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — a line
  21. cue — a hint
  22. stock — shares
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. row — to paddle

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