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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. face — part of the head
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. plane — a tool
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. face — to point toward
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. face — to confront
  20. wax — to grow
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stem — to come from

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