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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. fine — high quality
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. fall — to drop
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. toast — bread
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. fall — to drop
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. fall — the season
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. wax — to grow
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. wax — for sculpting

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