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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. present — the time now
  3. toast — bread
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. can — to be able to
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a music group
  11. can — a tin
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. band — a ring
  15. squash — to crush
  16. scale — size or range
  17. squash — the sport
  18. scale — in music
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. present — there
  21. can — a tin
  22. wax — to grow
  23. present — a gift
  24. sharp — exactly

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