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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. chip — to eat
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bound — tied together
  7. foot — a measure
  8. rash — hasty
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — a group
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. rash — a series
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bound — certain
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bound — obliged
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wind — to turn a key

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