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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. row — to paddle
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. track — a song
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. track — a path
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. foot — a measure
  16. pass — a permit
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. band — a ring
  19. wax — to grow
  20. row — a line
  21. track — to keep track
  22. band — a music group
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. row — a quarrel

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