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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: degree · ruler · wax · march · chip · craft

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. craft — boats
  3. march — music
  4. wax — to grow
  5. degree — from a university
  6. chip — for betting
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. march — the month
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. chip — to eat
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. march — the month

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