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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. game — a match
  3. suit — to fit
  4. spring — of water
  5. suit — in cards
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. suit — clothes
  8. staff — a stick
  9. club — for golf
  10. chest — a box
  11. staff — employees
  12. chest — of your body
  13. spring — a coil
  14. chest — of your body
  15. club — for dancing
  16. spring — the season
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. club — a group
  21. game — wild animals
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. staff — employees
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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