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: bay · current · lie · net · toast · wax · chest · lean

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. lean — thin
  4. current — happening now
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. current — electric
  11. toast — bread
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. net — after costs
  14. chest — a box
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. lean — to bend
  17. net — in sport
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. chest — of your body
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wax — to grow
  22. net — for catching
  23. current — of water
  24. toast — the most admired

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