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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. drill — the tool
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. wax — to grow
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. spring — a coil
  10. race — humankind
  11. drill — a practice
  12. row — a line
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pop — music
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. spring — the season
  18. drill — army training
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. race — the arms race
  22. spring — of water
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. race — a contest

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