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

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. spring — a coil
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wax — to grow
  7. march — the month
  8. spring — of water
  9. swing — in golf
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. sharp — clever
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. march — the month
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. swing — to play on
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. march — music
  20. chip — for betting
  21. spring — the season
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. swing — music
  24. sharp — with an edge

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