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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. present — there
  3. net — for catching
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. present — a gift
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. march — the month
  10. vault — a safe
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. net — after costs
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. present — the time now
  16. tube — a container
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. net — in sport
  20. pitch — completely
  21. wax — to grow
  22. deal — to handle
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. wax — in the ear

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