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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. sharp — clever
  3. present — there
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bear — the animal
  6. present — the time now
  7. plane — a tool
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. hand — in cards
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. pop — soda
  14. pitch — completely
  15. hand — help
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pop — music
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. present — a gift
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bear — the animal

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