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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. board — a committee
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bat — the animal
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. board — to get on
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a cup
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. net — after costs
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. wax — to grow
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. mug — a face
  22. net — in sport
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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