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 120 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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. file — a line of people
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — a leader
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. chest — of your body
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. stem — to come from
  12. present — the time now
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. file — a tool
  15. chest — a box
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. present — there
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. fine — high quality
  20. chest — of your body
  21. file — a document
  22. present — a gift
  23. fine — all right
  24. wax — for sculpting

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