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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. net — in sport
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. net — after costs
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. band — a music group
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. cap — of ice
  12. band — a ring
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. chair — a leader
  19. cap — a hat
  20. wax — to grow
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. net — for catching
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. snap — to click

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