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 ________________ took off on time.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. squash — the sport
  4. hand — in cards
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. branch — a division
  9. craft — boats
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. scale — size or range
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — for a lock
  17. wax — to grow
  18. scale — in music
  19. squash — to crush
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. plane — a tool
  22. craft — a skill
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. key — in music

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