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: row · race · ball · spring · key · wax · foot · date

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. foot — a measure
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. key — in music
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — a coil
  9. row — to paddle
  10. date — the fruit
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. row — a line
  16. ball — a dance
  17. race — a contest
  18. ball — a great time
  19. key — the most important part
  20. race — humankind
  21. key — for a lock
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. spring — the season
  24. race — the arms race

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