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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. lean — thin
  3. sharp — clever
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. cold — an illness
  7. lean — to bend
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bank — of a river
  10. cold — not warm
  11. press — a publisher
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bank — for money
  15. press — newspapers
  16. face — part of the head
  17. cap — a hat
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. face — to confront
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. press — to push
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. face — to point toward

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