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: wax · bore · dip · press · ground · lean · band · board

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. band — a ring
  3. lean — thin
  4. ground — the earth
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. band — a music group
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. lean — to bend
  11. press — to push
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bore — to drill
  15. board — a committee
  16. wax — to grow
  17. board — to get on
  18. press — newspapers
  19. dip — to sink
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. dip — to dunk

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