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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. key — in music
  5. pit — a hole
  6. key — the most important part
  7. march — the month
  8. object — a thing
  9. present — the time now
  10. cell — a phone
  11. object — an aim
  12. wax — to grow
  13. march — the month
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. present — there
  17. march — music
  18. pit — in a race
  19. cell — in biology
  20. object — to protest
  21. key — for a lock
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. present — a gift
  24. wax — for sculpting

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