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: club · perch · wax · kid · ball · date · chip · kick

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. ball — a dance
  4. club — a group
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — to eat
  7. kick — in football
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. club — for golf
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. perch — the fish
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. date — the fruit
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. kid — child
  20. ball — a great time
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. chip — for betting
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. date — on the calendar

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