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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — a hat
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. key — in music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — the arms race
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rock — a stone
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. key — the most important part
  17. wax — to grow
  18. rock — music
  19. bass — low music
  20. cap — of ice
  21. drill — a practice
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. key — for a lock
  24. rock — to move gently

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