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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. clip — a video
  4. cap — a lid
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. clip — to cut
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. wax — to grow
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rule — government
  16. clip — for paper
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. key — in music
  19. cap — a hat
  20. swing — in golf
  21. cap — of ice
  22. key — for a lock
  23. rule — a law
  24. swing — to play on

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