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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for dancing
  4. race — the arms race
  5. land — ground
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. chest — of your body
  8. wax — to grow
  9. date — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. chest — of your body
  12. race — a contest
  13. land — a country
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. land — to come down
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. race — humankind
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. club — for golf
  24. wax — for sculpting

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