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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pit — in a race
  6. wax — to grow
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. cue — for pool
  10. vault — a safe
  11. mark — a trace
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. cue — a signal
  15. drill — the tool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. mark — a grade
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pit — a hole
  20. drill — army training
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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