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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. key — in music
  3. bound — obliged
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bound — certain
  7. wax — to grow
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bound — tied together
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bass — low music
  14. prune — to trim
  15. kid — child
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. drill — army training
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. drill — a practice
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. key — for a lock

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