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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. row — to paddle
  4. wax — to grow
  5. race — humankind
  6. rock — music
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lie — to recline
  10. row — a line
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. stock — goods
  16. track — a song
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. race — the arms race
  19. rock — a stone
  20. track — a path
  21. stock — shares
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. track — to keep track
  24. race — a contest

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