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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. swing — music
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. present — the time now
  6. club — for dancing
  7. face — to point toward
  8. stand — to bear
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wax — to grow
  11. present — there
  12. degree — an amount
  13. swing — in golf
  14. club — for golf
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. swing — to play on
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. degree — from a university
  22. face — to confront
  23. degree — temperature
  24. present — a gift

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