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 120 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wax — to grow
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pop — music
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pop — to visit
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. mate — a partner
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rush — hurry
  17. fork — in a road
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mate — a friend
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. pop — soda
  23. mate — to breed
  24. chair — a leader

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