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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. staff — a stick
  5. file — a line of people
  6. mark — a grade
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. present — a gift
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. present — there
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. wax — to grow
  17. staff — employees
  18. chair — a leader
  19. present — the time now
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a document
  24. staff — employees

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