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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. ball — a dance
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. staff — a stick
  5. current — of water
  6. mug — a cup
  7. date — the fruit
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. kid — child
  12. mug — to rob
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. current — electric
  16. staff — employees
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. kid — to tease
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. staff — employees
  22. current — happening now
  23. wax — to grow
  24. ball — a great time

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