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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. season — in sport
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. pit — a hole
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. spell — a short time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. suit — in cards
  16. season — of the year
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. suit — to fit
  19. pit — in a race
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wax — to grow
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — dry grass

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