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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wax — to grow
  4. tube — the underground
  5. degree — an amount
  6. mate — a partner
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. mate — to breed
  10. board — a committee
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. mate — a friend
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. tube — a container
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — from a university
  20. press — to push
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. press — newspapers
  23. board — to get on
  24. press — a publisher

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