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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. last — to go on
  3. net — in sport
  4. scale — in music
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. last — finally
  8. scale — size or range
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. board — to get on
  11. press — to push
  12. press — a publisher
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. net — after costs
  15. stem — to come from
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. net — for catching
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. press — newspapers
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. last — final
  24. board — a committee

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