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 120 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. pop — music
  6. tube — the underground
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. tube — a container
  9. present — the time now
  10. shower — to wash
  11. present — there
  12. pop — soda
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. charge — a price
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. wax — to grow
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. charge — electricity
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. present — a gift
  21. shower — rain
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. charge — in control
  24. pop — to visit

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