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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. cap — a lid
  8. ground — a position
  9. craft — boats
  10. wax — to grow
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pop — soda
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. craft — a skill
  19. pop — music
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ground — the earth
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cap — a hat
  24. coach — a trainer

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