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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. ground — the earth
  4. net — after costs
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. wake — a trail
  7. net — for catching
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — to bend
  10. snap — to click
  11. ground — crushed
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. ground — a position
  15. net — in sport
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wax — to grow
  22. lean — thin
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. straw — a straw man

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