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 120 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: snap · root · lean · wax · cell · chair · bear · scale

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. cell — in biology
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. wax — to grow
  8. cell — a phone
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. chair — a leader
  13. lean — thin
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. scale — in music
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — the cause
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. snap — to click
  24. root — of a plant

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