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: pop · net · club · wax · shower · craft · calf · racket

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. net — after costs
  4. club — for golf
  5. craft — a skill
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. shower — rain
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pop — to visit
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. shower — to wash
  17. net — in sport
  18. club — for dancing
  19. wax — to grow
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pop — music
  23. net — for catching
  24. pop — soda

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