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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. club — a group
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a leader
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. club — for dancing
  9. suit — in cards
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — clothes
  13. chip — to eat
  14. club — for golf
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. stem — to come from
  21. chip — for betting
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — a permit

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