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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pop — soda
  3. firm — a company
  4. chest — of your body
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. firm — decided
  10. pop — music
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chest — a box
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. chest — of your body
  17. pop — to visit
  18. firm — steady
  19. can — a tin
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. can — to be able to
  22. wax — to grow
  23. lie — to recline
  24. wax — in the ear

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