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: fan · squash · chair · bear · wax · ground · club · stem

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. ground — a position
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. squash — to crush
  7. stem — to come from
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bear — the animal
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. squash — the sport
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — crushed
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. chair — a leader
  24. wax — in the ear

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