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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. board — to get on
  4. cue — a hint
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wax — to grow
  7. rash — a series
  8. cell — a phone
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. rash — hasty
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. board — a committee
  13. ball — a great time
  14. deal — to handle
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. cue — a signal
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. ball — a dance
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cue — for pool
  24. ball — a round shape

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