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 120 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. deal — to handle
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. march — the month
  7. ball — a great time
  8. pit — a hole
  9. march — music
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ball — a dance
  14. wax — to grow
  15. pop — music
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. plane — a tool
  21. march — the month
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pit — in a race
  24. saw — the tool

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