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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. object — to protest
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. court — of a king
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bound — certain
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bound — tied together
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bound — obliged
  15. court — of law
  16. object — an aim
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. object — a thing
  23. court — for sport
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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