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 116 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: staff · stand · pit · wax · bear · last · content · present

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pit — a hole
  3. wax — to grow
  4. pit — in a race
  5. stand — to bear
  6. present — the time now
  7. staff — employees
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — happy
  12. last — to go on
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bear — the animal
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bear — the animal
  20. staff — employees
  21. present — there
  22. last — finally
  23. last — final
  24. staff — a stick

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