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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. chip — to eat
  3. hand — help
  4. club — for golf
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. chip — for betting
  9. pop — music
  10. scale — in music
  11. press — newspapers
  12. club — a group
  13. press — a publisher
  14. current — of water
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. hand — in cards
  17. pop — to visit
  18. club — for dancing
  19. current — electric
  20. press — to push
  21. scale — size or range
  22. current — happening now
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. hand — part of the body

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