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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pitch — completely
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. kid — to tease
  7. file — a tool
  8. club — a group
  9. kid — child
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. file — a document
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. file — a line of people
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. wound — an injury
  18. club — for dancing
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. wound — an injury
  23. club — for golf
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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