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 120 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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. land — a country
  4. row — to paddle
  5. board — to get on
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. land — ground
  10. dip — to sink
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. land — to come down
  14. spell — a short time
  15. wax — to grow
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. board — a committee
  24. row — a line

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