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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. mug — a face
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. net — after costs
  8. pop — to visit
  9. net — in sport
  10. pop — soda
  11. wax — to grow
  12. stock — goods
  13. pop — music
  14. stock — shares
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. chair — a leader
  17. mug — to rob
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mug — a cup
  21. net — for catching
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. arm — part of the body
  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