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 120 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bat — the animal
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. lean — thin
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. root — of a plant
  8. content — happy
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. clip — a video
  11. content — the amount
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. root — of a word
  15. wax — to grow
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. clip — for paper
  18. lean — to bend
  19. squash — to crush
  20. root — the cause
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. clip — to cut
  24. squash — the sport

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