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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. chair — a leader
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. mark — a grade
  7. last — final
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. mark — a trace
  11. last — finally
  12. fork — in a road
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. drill — army training
  18. wax — to grow
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. foot — a measure
  22. last — to go on
  23. drill — the tool
  24. arm — part of the body

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