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 120 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: key · rock · racket · lean · wax · bowl · mine · sharp

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  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. sharp — with an edge
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. rock — music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. lean — to bend
  10. key — in music
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. mine — for digging
  15. wax — to grow
  16. lean — thin
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. rock — a stone
  23. racket — for tennis
  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