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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. rock — music
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wax — to grow
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. mine — for digging
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. rock — a stone
  18. foot — a measure
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. fall — the season
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. deal — to handle
  24. fall — to drop

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