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

Word bank: tear · cabinet · wax · season · club · pound · chip · drill

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. club — a group
  5. drill — army training
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. tear — from crying
  8. club — for golf
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. season — of the year
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — for betting
  15. drill — a practice
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. drill — the tool
  18. season — in sport
  19. wax — to grow
  20. tear — to rip
  21. club — for dancing
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. tear — from crying

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