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 was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. net — after costs
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. swing — to play on
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. net — for catching
  13. swing — in golf
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. ground — a position
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. swing — music
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. ground — the earth
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ground — crushed
  24. net — in sport

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