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: bowl · wax · wound · board · face · lean · can · jam

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  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 — for sculpting
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. lean — to bend
  4. wound — an injury
  5. face — to confront
  6. board — to get on
  7. can — to be able to
  8. face — to point toward
  9. lean — thin
  10. board — a committee
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. can — a tin
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. face — part of the head
  23. can — a tin
  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