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: season · mouse · mug · press · wax · last · ground · lean

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. press — to push
  3. mug — a face
  4. last — finally
  5. ground — a position
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mug — to rob
  9. lean — to bend
  10. wax — to grow
  11. season — in sport
  12. ground — the earth
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. ground — crushed
  15. mug — a cup
  16. season — of the year
  17. lean — thin
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. last — to go on
  20. last — final
  21. press — a publisher
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. press — newspapers

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