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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pop — music
  5. kick — in football
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. race — humankind
  8. fine — all right
  9. pop — soda
  10. swing — music
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. race — a contest
  13. swing — to play on
  14. mine — for digging
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pop — to visit
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. swing — in golf
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. race — the arms race
  23. wax — to grow
  24. fine — high quality

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