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 116 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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. track — to keep track
  5. race — a contest
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — to protest
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. track — a song
  14. object — an aim
  15. race — the arms race
  16. pitch — completely
  17. tear — from crying
  18. lean — thin
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. race — humankind
  24. tear — to rip

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