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: calf · bowl · mine · ball · dip · wax · hand · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. hand — help
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. wax — to grow
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — for digging
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. dip — to sink
  20. hand — in cards
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. hand — part of the body

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