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: wax · stick · spell · chip · cell · lean · bass · pass

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. chip — to eat
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bass — low music
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — magic
  12. bass — the fish
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. cell — a phone
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — thin
  17. spell — a short time
  18. chip — for betting
  19. pass — a permit
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wax — to grow
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lean — to bend

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