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: firm · lie · staff · row · fall · wax · race · scale

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. staff — employees
  6. fall — to drop
  7. race — the arms race
  8. wax — to grow
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. race — a contest
  12. row — to paddle
  13. staff — a stick
  14. scale — in music
  15. firm — steady
  16. race — humankind
  17. firm — decided
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — a line
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. staff — employees
  22. scale — size or range
  23. fall — the season
  24. firm — a company

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