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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. net — in sport
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. land — ground
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. land — a country
  12. bass — the fish
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lie — to recline
  15. dip — to sink
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bass — low music
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. net — after costs
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. wax — to grow
  24. net — for catching

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