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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. mug — a cup
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. current — of water
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. current — happening now
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. mug — a face
  15. kid — child
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. kid — to tease
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. current — electric
  24. squash — the vegetable

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