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: chair · wax · lean · chest · mug · dip · chip · nail

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. chest — a box
  3. wax — to grow
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chair — a leader
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. mug — a face
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. lean — to bend
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — to rob
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lean — thin
  21. dip — to sink
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chest — of your body

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