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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. drill — army training
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. press — newspapers
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. drill — the tool
  11. wax — to grow
  12. game — a match
  13. drill — a practice
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. march — the month
  17. press — to push
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. press — a publisher

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