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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — a measure
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — help
  8. dip — to sink
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. club — a group
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. chip — to eat
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bound — obliged
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bound — certain
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bound — tied together
  24. chip — for betting

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