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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wound — an injury
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. root — of a plant
  7. vault — a safe
  8. wound — an injury
  9. ball — a dance
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — boats
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. root — the cause
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wax — to grow
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. root — of a word
  22. wake — a trail
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a round shape

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