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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. key — in music
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. field — a subject
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cell — a phone
  9. lean — thin
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. field — farmland
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. field — for sport
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. wound — an injury
  24. lean — to bend

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