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: content · shower · pitch · wax · key · chip · bass · swing

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bass — low music
  5. wax — to grow
  6. chip — for betting
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — for a lock
  9. shower — to wash
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. swing — music
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. swing — to play on
  14. chip — to eat
  15. shower — rain
  16. swing — in golf
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. key — in music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. content — the amount
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. content — happy
  24. chip — in a computer

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