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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. ground — crushed
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. suit — to fit
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cap — of ice
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. ground — a position
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. ground — the earth
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. cap — a lid
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. suit — clothes
  20. chair — a leader
  21. season — in sport
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cap — a hat
  24. season — of the year

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