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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. key — for a lock
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. spring — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. spring — the season
  8. current — of water
  9. prune — to trim
  10. scale — size or range
  11. wax — to grow
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. current — happening now
  14. board — to get on
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. prune — to trim
  17. key — in music
  18. scale — in music
  19. board — a committee
  20. key — the most important part
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. spring — a coil

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