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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. can — a tin
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. cap — a hat
  5. plane — a tool
  6. mug — a cup
  7. can — to be able to
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. spring — the season
  10. cap — a lid
  11. staff — employees
  12. mug — a face
  13. staff — employees
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. spring — of water
  17. can — a tin
  18. spring — a coil
  19. cap — of ice
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. wax — to grow
  22. staff — a stick
  23. mug — to rob
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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