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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. staff — employees
  3. rash — a series
  4. chest — a box
  5. squash — the sport
  6. rash — hasty
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. staff — employees
  9. squash — to crush
  10. mark — a grade
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. cue — for pool
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mark — a trace
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. staff — a stick
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. wax — to grow
  21. cue — a signal
  22. chest — of your body
  23. cue — a hint
  24. trunk — of a car

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