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 120 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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. court — for sport
  5. club — for golf
  6. craft — boats
  7. club — a group
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. foot — a measure
  12. court — of a king
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. fine — high quality
  15. court — of law
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. club — for dancing
  24. wax — for sculpting

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