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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. staff — employees
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. toast — bread
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. game — wild animals
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. chip — for betting
  17. staff — employees
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. deal — to handle
  20. game — a match
  21. wax — to grow
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. staff — a stick
  24. chip — to eat

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