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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. row — a line
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. charge — a price
  8. race — humankind
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. can — a tin
  11. wax — to grow
  12. capital — money
  13. row — to paddle
  14. charge — electricity
  15. capital — a city
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — a contest
  18. can — to be able to
  19. charge — in control
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. can — a tin
  23. pass — a permit
  24. capital — a big letter

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