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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. ground — a position
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. net — after costs
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. ground — crushed
  7. chip — for betting
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. key — for a lock
  10. wax — to grow
  11. chip — to eat
  12. net — in sport
  13. date — the fruit
  14. toast — bread
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. net — for catching
  24. ground — the earth

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