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: season · mug · bark · race · toast · lean · wax · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. lean — thin
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a document
  6. toast — bread
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. season — in sport
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. race — humankind
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. season — of the year
  20. race — a contest
  21. bark — to shout
  22. mug — to rob
  23. wax — to grow
  24. race — the arms race

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