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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bear — the animal
  3. scale — in music
  4. bulb — for light
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bulb — for light
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bear — the animal
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. net — in sport
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. net — after costs
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. net — for catching
  19. scale — size or range
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bulb — of a plant

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