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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. suit — to fit
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. row — to paddle
  11. suit — in cards
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wind — moving air
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. shower — to wash
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. pitch — completely
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. wind — moving air
  21. shower — rain
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — a line
  24. wax — in the ear

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