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: arm · bay · deal · mate · wax · bass · lean · press

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. press — to push
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. lean — thin
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. lean — to bend
  11. deal — to handle
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. press — a publisher
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mate — to breed
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bass — low music
  22. mate — a friend
  23. press — newspapers
  24. mate — a partner

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