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 116 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. rock — a stone
  3. court — for sport
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. game — a match
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. fine — high quality
  8. court — of a king
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. fine — all right
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cold — not warm
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. game — wild animals
  17. cold — an illness
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. wax — to grow
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. court — of law
  23. rock — music
  24. fan — a supporter

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