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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bark — to shout
  6. wax — to grow
  7. game — wild animals
  8. can — a tin
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. staff — employees
  12. can — a tin
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — to get on
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. staff — employees
  18. rush — hurry
  19. game — a match
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. staff — a stick
  23. can — to be able to
  24. plane — a tool

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