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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — to grow
  5. tear — to rip
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. key — in music
  10. ball — a great time
  11. pop — to visit
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. wind — moving air
  15. key — the most important part
  16. ball — a dance
  17. key — for a lock
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — to paddle
  20. tear — from crying
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. tear — from crying
  24. row — a line

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