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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. wax — to grow
  3. net — in sport
  4. land — a country
  5. scale — in music
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. board — a committee
  11. net — after costs
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. deal — to handle
  14. land — ground
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. rock — a stone
  18. board — to get on
  19. rock — music
  20. land — to come down
  21. net — for catching
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rock — to move gently

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