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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. club — a group
  3. pound — a weight
  4. face — part of the head
  5. capital — money
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. club — for golf
  9. face — to point toward
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. row — a line
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. drill — a practice
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. capital — a city
  18. club — for dancing
  19. drill — army training
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. row — to paddle
  22. face — to confront
  23. wax — to grow
  24. drill — the tool

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