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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. staff — a stick
  4. rash — hasty
  5. staff — employees
  6. rash — a series
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pound — a weight
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. staff — employees
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a cake
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. roll — a list
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — thin
  24. cabinet — ministers

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