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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. last — final
  6. last — finally
  7. charge — in control
  8. last — to go on
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. track — a song
  12. wax — to grow
  13. scale — in music
  14. track — a path
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. charge — a price
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. charge — electricity
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. track — to keep track
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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