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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. degree — from a university
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. march — music
  6. degree — an amount
  7. craft — boats
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. degree — temperature
  16. march — the month
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wind — moving air
  19. march — the month
  20. board — a committee
  21. wind — moving air
  22. craft — a skill
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. safe — out of danger

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