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: tube · mine · straw · chair · stand · wax · lean · face

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. face — to point toward
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. lean — to bend
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — to bear
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. face — to confront
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mine — for digging
  20. face — part of the head
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. chair — a leader
  23. wax — to grow
  24. lean — thin

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