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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. staff — a stick
  5. object — an aim
  6. race — a contest
  7. court — of a king
  8. staff — employees
  9. court — of law
  10. staff — employees
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. race — humankind
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. object — a thing
  17. race — the arms race
  18. court — for sport
  19. can — a tin
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bark — to shout
  24. can — a tin

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