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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. key — for a lock
  4. spring — the season
  5. stem — to come from
  6. key — in music
  7. wax — to grow
  8. spring — of water
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. lean — thin
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. shower — to wash
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. key — the most important part
  20. spring — a coil
  21. shower — rain
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. chair — to sit on

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