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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. clip — to cut
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — a container
  8. clip — for paper
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. clip — a video
  12. wax — to grow
  13. ground — the earth
  14. lean — thin
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — a law
  18. ground — crushed
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. stand — to bear
  23. rule — government
  24. ground — a position

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