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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — for dancing
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. kid — child
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. wax — to grow
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. club — a group
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — a series
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. mark — a grade
  18. kid — to tease
  19. mark — a trace
  20. chip — for betting
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. fan — a supporter

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