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: nail · face · race · kick · cue · chair · pop · wax

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. cue — a hint
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. race — the arms race
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pop — music
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. pop — to visit
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. race — a contest
  12. face — to confront
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. kick — in football
  19. face — to point toward
  20. race — humankind
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. pop — soda
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wax — to grow

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