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: pit · band · ball · kick · row · club · patient · wax

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. band — a ring
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. row — a line
  6. row — to paddle
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. band — a music group
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pit — a hole
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ball — a great time
  15. kick — in football
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. club — a group
  20. pit — in a race
  21. club — for dancing
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. club — for golf
  24. wax — to grow

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