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: object · fan · march · saw · press · bark · wax · deal

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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. deal — to handle
  4. object — to protest
  5. saw — the tool
  6. press — to push
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. object — a thing
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bark — to shout
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. object — an aim
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wax — to grow
  24. deal — an agreement

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