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: rest · mouse · bound · game · kid · leaves · wax · ground

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. ground — the earth
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ground — a position
  6. bound — certain
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bound — tied together
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — to tease
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. game — a match
  19. wax — to grow
  20. rest — what's left
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. rest — what's left
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. rest — a break

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