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: tube · lean · court · object · spring · pit · bound · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bound — certain
  4. spring — of water
  5. lean — thin
  6. pit — a hole
  7. object — an aim
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pit — in a race
  13. object — a thing
  14. court — of law
  15. spring — the season
  16. court — for sport
  17. spring — a coil
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. bound — tied together
  21. object — to protest
  22. bound — obliged
  23. court — of a king
  24. tube — in a tire

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