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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. ball — a great time
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. suit — to fit
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. suit — in cards
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. file — a document
  15. ball — a dance
  16. root — the cause
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. root — of a word
  19. file — a line of people
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. file — a tool
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. suit — clothes
  24. root — of a plant

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