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: season · wax · press · coach · arm · spring · cap · cue

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. season — of the year
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — to push
  9. season — in sport
  10. press — newspapers
  11. spring — a coil
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. cap — a lid
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cue — for pool
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. spring — the season
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. spring — of water
  20. cap — of ice
  21. wax — to grow
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — a signal

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