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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. key — the most important part
  3. game — a match
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. key — in music
  10. foot — a measure
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. net — for catching
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. wax — to grow
  18. net — after costs
  19. key — for a lock
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. game — wild animals
  22. net — in sport
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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