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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  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. wax — for sculpting
  2. bat — the animal
  3. wax — to grow
  4. chair — a leader
  5. current — electric
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. row — a line
  11. current — of water
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — all right
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. fine — high quality
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. current — happening now
  23. wake — a trail
  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