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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — a thing
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wax — to grow
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. face — part of the head
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. club — for dancing
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. mug — a face
  14. capital — money
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. club — for golf
  19. face — to point toward
  20. mug — a cup
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. object — an aim
  23. capital — a city
  24. face — to confront

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