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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. ground — a position
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. clip — a video
  4. ground — crushed
  5. cell — in biology
  6. wax — to grow
  7. clip — to cut
  8. lean — to bend
  9. cell — a phone
  10. rule — government
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — a law
  14. craft — boats
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. rash — hasty
  18. ground — the earth
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. lean — thin
  21. rash — a series
  22. clip — for paper
  23. craft — a skill
  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