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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bear — the animal
  4. field — for sport
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. dip — to sink
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pass — a permit
  11. squash — the sport
  12. field — farmland
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. lean — thin
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. rest — what's left
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. rest — a break
  23. field — a subject
  24. wax — to grow

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