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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wax — to grow
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — to protest
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. swing — to play on
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mark — a grade
  12. row — a line
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. swing — music
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. object — a thing
  17. staff — employees
  18. row — to paddle
  19. swing — in golf
  20. mark — a trace
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. staff — a stick
  23. ball — a great time
  24. row — a quarrel

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