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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. shower — rain
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. rash — hasty
  5. key — in music
  6. bass — low music
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. rash — a series
  10. row — a line
  11. wax — to grow
  12. cap — a hat
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. key — the most important part
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. shower — to wash
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. vault — a safe
  21. cap — of ice
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bass — the fish
  24. row — to paddle

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