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: press · season · wax · wind · chip · key · arm · rest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. chip — to eat
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. season — in sport
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. season — of the year
  10. press — a publisher
  11. key — the most important part
  12. rest — what's left
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. key — in music
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. key — for a lock
  17. wax — to grow
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. press — newspapers
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. press — to push
  24. chip — for betting

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