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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ball — a great time
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. lean — to bend
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. spell — a short time
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bound — tied together
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. spell — magic
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. lean — thin
  24. chair — a leader

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