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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. present — a gift
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. present — there
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a tool
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cue — for pool
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. present — the time now
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. cue — a signal
  16. land — a country
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. cue — a hint
  20. land — to come down
  21. wax — to grow
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  24. vault — a safe

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