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: lean · toast · safe · bear · last · board · wax · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. court — of law
  4. wax — to grow
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. lean — thin
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — bread
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. board — to get on
  20. lean — to bend
  21. board — a committee
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. court — for sport
  24. last — final

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