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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. object — to protest
  3. face — to confront
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. wax — to grow
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. object — an aim
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pit — in a race
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. face — to point toward
  15. shower — rain
  16. hand — help
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. face — part of the head
  19. object — a thing
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. hand — in cards

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