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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. perch — the fish
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rock — a stone
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. deal — to handle
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. board — to get on
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rock — music
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. wax — to grow

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