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 116 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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. court — of a king
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cell — a phone
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. wax — to grow
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. court — of law
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. court — for sport
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. net — after costs
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cell — in biology

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