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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. kid — child
  8. object — an aim
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. mate — to breed
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. object — a thing
  13. mate — a partner
  14. wax — to grow
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bat — the animal
  17. object — to protest
  18. kid — to tease
  19. mate — a friend
  20. stock — goods
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bat — for baseball

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