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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. wax — to grow
  3. race — humankind
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. club — for dancing
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. land — a country
  8. press — to push
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. race — the arms race
  14. press — a publisher
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. race — a contest
  17. club — for golf
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. club — a group
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. land — to come down
  23. press — newspapers
  24. fan — a supporter

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