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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. swing — music
  4. bat — the animal
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pop — music
  7. charge — in control
  8. pop — soda
  9. charge — a price
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pop — to visit
  12. stock — shares
  13. swing — in golf
  14. club — for golf
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. stock — goods
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. club — for dancing
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. charge — electricity
  21. club — a group
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. swing — to play on

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