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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bore — to tire
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. lean — to bend
  5. clip — for paper
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wax — to grow
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. clip — a video
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. lean — thin
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — in golf
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to sink
  23. clip — to cut
  24. calf — a young animal

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