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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. tube — the underground
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. degree — an amount
  7. rest — a break
  8. degree — from a university
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. toast — bread
  11. board — a committee
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. kick — in football
  14. wax — to grow
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rest — what's left
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. tube — a container
  21. degree — temperature
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. tube — in a tire

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