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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. wax — to grow
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. capital — a city
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. suit — to fit
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. pitch — completely
  10. suit — in cards
  11. perch — the fish
  12. stock — shares
  13. capital — money
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. key — the most important part
  16. suit — clothes
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. stock — goods
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. pop — music

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