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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bank — for money
  3. rest — a break
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bank — of a river
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pass — a permit
  13. net — in sport
  14. rest — what's left
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — after costs
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. ball — a dance
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bank — for money

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