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 116 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: file · key · net · chip · wax · coach · wake · shower

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. net — in sport
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. shower — to wash
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. shower — rain
  9. file — a tool
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — after costs
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. file — a line of people
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. chip — for betting
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. key — in music
  20. file — a document
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. key — the most important part
  24. chip — to eat

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