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: bowl · jam · rock · wax · chair · race · foot · pass

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. rock — music
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. race — humankind
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. wax — to grow
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. race — a contest
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. pass — a permit
  13. chair — a leader
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. rock — a stone
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. race — the arms race
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. wax — for sculpting

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