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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. net — in sport
  5. capital — a city
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. club — a group
  8. saw — the tool
  9. track — a path
  10. drill — army training
  11. capital — money
  12. drill — a practice
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — after costs
  17. track — to keep track
  18. rash — a series
  19. wax — to grow
  20. track — a song
  21. drill — the tool
  22. club — for dancing
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — on the skin

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