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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. board — a committee
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bass — low music
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bass — the fish
  10. file — a document
  11. degree — temperature
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. degree — from a university
  18. file — a tool
  19. degree — an amount
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. file — a line of people
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. wax — to grow
  24. dip — to dunk

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