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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · rush · pound · stand · bat · lean · wax · toast

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bat — the animal
  4. lean — to bend
  5. toast — bread
  6. lean — thin
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. pound — a weight
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. stand — to bear
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. toast — the most admired

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