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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. degree — an amount
  4. charge — electricity
  5. degree — temperature
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — thin
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. charge — in control
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. charge — a price
  18. degree — from a university
  19. stock — shares
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stock — goods
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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