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: rock · pit · drill · club · wound · wax · row · bass

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. rock — a stone
  3. drill — a practice
  4. pit — a hole
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for dancing
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bass — low music
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. club — for golf
  11. rock — music
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. drill — army training
  16. row — a line
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wound — an injury
  21. row — to paddle
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bass — the fish
  24. drill — the tool

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