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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · firm · wax · kick · spell · row · mug · net

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. firm — steady
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. row — to paddle
  5. wax — to grow
  6. mug — a face
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. firm — decided
  9. content — the amount
  10. firm — a company
  11. content — happy
  12. mug — a cup
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. spell — magic
  15. net — for catching
  16. spell — letters
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. row — a line
  19. mug — to rob
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. net — in sport
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. net — after costs
  24. kick — in football

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