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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. file — a tool
  3. swing — in golf
  4. key — the most important part
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. prune — to trim
  7. key — for a lock
  8. kick — in football
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. key — in music
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. swing — to play on
  16. file — a line of people
  17. prune — to trim
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. file — a document
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. fan — to cool the air

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