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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. rock — a stone
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. scale — in music
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. shower — to wash
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. swing — music
  14. shower — rain
  15. rock — music
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. can — to be able to
  18. fork — in a road
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. scale — size or range
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. wax — to grow

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