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 116 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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. chair — a leader
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. wax — to grow
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — in a road
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bat — the animal
  19. kid — child
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. scale — size or range
  22. kid — to tease
  23. scale — in music
  24. mouse — for a computer

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