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: mug · net · bat · arm · lean · can · wax · pass

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. can — to be able to
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. net — after costs
  6. wax — to grow
  7. can — a tin
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. net — in sport
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. mug — to rob
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. can — a tin
  16. lean — thin
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. mug — a cup
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bat — the animal
  21. net — for catching
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pass — a permit

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