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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. spell — magic
  4. scale — in music
  5. drill — a practice
  6. spell — letters
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. scale — size or range
  13. spell — a short time
  14. chest — of your body
  15. drill — army training
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. wax — to grow
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. chest — a box
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. drill — the tool
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. chair — a leader

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