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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. key — the most important part
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. wax — to grow
  6. capital — money
  7. pop — music
  8. press — a publisher
  9. row — to paddle
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. key — in music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. pop — to visit
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — to push
  17. pop — soda
  18. cue — a hint
  19. rest — what's left
  20. capital — a city
  21. key — for a lock
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — a line
  24. capital — a big letter

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