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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. file — a document
  3. wax — to grow
  4. saw — the tool
  5. game — wild animals
  6. net — after costs
  7. suit — in cards
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. pass — a permit
  10. suit — clothes
  11. saw — the tool
  12. file — a tool
  13. stem — to come from
  14. suit — to fit
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. file — a line of people
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. game — a match

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