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: bound · wax · jam · can · lie · march · bat · stem

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. march — the month
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bat — the animal
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bound — obliged
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. march — music
  15. can — a tin
  16. bound — tied together
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. can — to be able to
  19. wax — to grow
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bound — certain
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. march — the month
  24. jam — a tight spot

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