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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pop — music
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — boats
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pop — soda
  11. dip — to sink
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. hand — help
  14. pound — a weight
  15. staff — employees
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. craft — a skill
  20. squash — to crush
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. pound — to hit hard

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