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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. lean — to bend
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. spell — letters
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. pit — a hole
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. squash — to crush
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. spell — magic
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. pass — a permit
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. squash — the sport
  18. lean — thin
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. spell — a short time

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