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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cap — a hat
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. cap — a lid
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wake — a trail
  21. season — of the year
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. season — in sport
  24. jam — in traffic

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