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

Word bank: chest · key · wax · face · toast · stock · cabinet · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. face — to point toward
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. face — to confront
  7. chest — a box
  8. key — for a lock
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. key — the most important part
  11. chest — of your body
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. stock — shares
  14. wax — to grow
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. face — part of the head
  18. chest — of your body
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. toast — bread
  23. stock — goods
  24. key — in music

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