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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. wax — to grow
  3. board — a committee
  4. land — to come down
  5. bore — to drill
  6. club — a group
  7. bore — to tire
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. club — for dancing
  10. court — of a king
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. club — for golf
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. board — to get on
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — a position
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. land — a country
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of law
  24. ground — crushed

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