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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. wax — to grow
  7. chair — a leader
  8. tube — a container
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. field — a subject
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rush — hurry
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. field — farmland
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. tube — the underground
  21. field — for sport
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ruler — a monarch

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