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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a hat
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. wax — to grow
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. chest — a box
  11. fine — all right
  12. cap — a lid
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. file — a tool
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. file — a line of people
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. file — a document

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