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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — to breed
  8. board — to get on
  9. root — the cause
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. sharp — clever
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mate — a partner
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. root — of a word
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. root — of a plant
  21. wax — to grow
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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