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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. spring — of water
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. march — the month
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. spring — the season
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pitch — completely
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. march — music
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. board — a committee
  20. rash — a series
  21. march — the month
  22. spring — a coil
  23. rash — hasty
  24. wax — to grow

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