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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. pop — soda
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pop — to visit
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mate — a friend
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. season — of the year
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mate — a partner
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. chair — a leader
  13. pop — music
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. mate — to breed
  18. season — in sport
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. row — a line
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — to grow
  24. row — to paddle

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