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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lean — to bend
  3. pop — music
  4. lean — thin
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. march — the month
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. march — the month
  14. content — happy
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pound — a weight
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. content — the amount
  21. wax — to grow
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. march — music
  24. pop — soda

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