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: wax · foot · mine · cabinet · racket · band · row · rock

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. band — a music group
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. row — to paddle
  6. rock — a stone
  7. mine — for digging
  8. wax — to grow
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. band — a ring
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. row — a line
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. foot — a measure
  24. rock — music

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