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: coach · hand · wax · kid · bulb · track · row · fork

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. track — a song
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. track — to keep track
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fork — in a road
  7. row — a line
  8. hand — help
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. kid — to tease
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. track — a path
  14. kid — child
  15. wax — to grow
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bulb — for light
  20. row — to paddle
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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