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 116 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. court — for sport
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. court — of a king
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. drill — the tool
  8. pitch — completely
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. snap — to click
  13. drill — army training
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. court — of law
  18. wax — to grow
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — a tool
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. drill — a practice
  24. wax — for sculpting

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