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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. race — the arms race
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. net — after costs
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. ground — a position
  9. degree — an amount
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. net — for catching
  13. degree — temperature
  14. race — humankind
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. net — in sport
  18. ground — the earth
  19. snap — to click
  20. ground — crushed
  21. race — a contest
  22. degree — from a university
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. sharp — clever

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