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

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. perch — the fish
  3. row — a line
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wax — to grow
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — to get on
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. can — a tin
  13. race — humankind
  14. row — to paddle
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. root — of a plant
  17. race — a contest
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a word
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. board — a committee
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. race — the arms race
  24. trunk — of a car

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