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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. club — for golf
  3. drill — the tool
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. file — a document
  6. drill — army training
  7. club — for dancing
  8. toast — bread
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. drill — a practice
  12. root — of a word
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. file — a tool
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — the cause
  21. file — a line of people
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. club — a group
  24. coach — a trainer

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