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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. drill — army training
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. perch — the fish
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. object — a thing
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. wax — to grow
  12. object — to protest
  13. drill — the tool
  14. ground — the earth
  15. object — an aim
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. rush — hurry
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — a position
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. drill — a practice
  24. date — the fruit

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