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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. file — a line of people
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. hand — in cards
  6. board — to get on
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. file — a tool
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. wax — to grow
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. board — a committee
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. squash — the sport
  16. file — a document
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — rain
  22. hand — help
  23. squash — to crush
  24. hand — part of the body

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