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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  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. mate — a partner
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. shower — rain
  5. fork — in a road
  6. squash — the sport
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. pop — music
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. pop — soda
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. squash — to crush
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. shower — to wash
  17. mate — to breed
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. mine — for digging
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pop — to visit
  23. mate — a friend
  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