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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a lid
  4. wax — to grow
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. march — music
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. perch — the fish
  11. march — the month
  12. deal — to handle
  13. craft — a skill
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. craft — boats
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cap — a hat
  20. march — the month
  21. current — electric
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. craft — a handicraft

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