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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. land — a country
  3. rest — a break
  4. drill — army training
  5. chair — a leader
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. key — the most important part
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. dip — to sink
  12. land — to come down
  13. key — for a lock
  14. drill — the tool
  15. key — in music
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. rest — what's left
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. drill — a practice
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. land — ground
  24. bear — the animal

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