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: staff · hide · trunk · wax · bay · lean · squash · chair

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. squash — the sport
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. staff — employees
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. lean — to bend
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. lean — thin
  10. staff — employees
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. squash — to crush
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a leader
  19. staff — a stick
  20. wax — to grow
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. lean — to rest against

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