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: club · content · wax · bowl · craft · capital · row · stand

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. club — for golf
  4. capital — money
  5. craft — a skill
  6. row — a line
  7. content — happy
  8. wax — to grow
  9. capital — a city
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. club — for dancing
  16. row — to paddle
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. craft — boats
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. club — a group
  21. content — the amount
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. row — a quarrel

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