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: drill · cell · deal · ground · fine · wax · safe · bat

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. fine — high quality
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — the animal
  7. cell — in biology
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. drill — army training
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. wax — to grow
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. fine — all right
  18. drill — the tool
  19. deal — to handle
  20. ground — a position
  21. cell — a phone
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. ground — the earth
  24. drill — a practice

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