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: foot · deal · wind · clip · arm · net · bowl · wax

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. foot — a measure
  3. wind — moving air
  4. clip — to cut
  5. net — for catching
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. clip — for paper
  9. net — after costs
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. deal — to handle
  14. clip — a video
  15. net — in sport
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bowl — a dish

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