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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. ball — a great time
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. chair — a leader
  5. race — a contest
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. club — a group
  8. wax — to grow
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. kick — in football
  11. club — for golf
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. club — for dancing
  15. race — humankind
  16. craft — boats
  17. ball — a dance
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. race — the arms race
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. craft — a skill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. chair — to sit on

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