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 · object · wax · pound · wound · face · court · track

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. track — a song
  3. club — for dancing
  4. court — for sport
  5. wound — an injury
  6. face — part of the head
  7. club — for golf
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. object — a thing
  10. wound — an injury
  11. club — a group
  12. face — to point toward
  13. court — of a king
  14. face — to confront
  15. court — of law
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. track — to keep track
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. track — a path
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — an aim
  24. pound — a weight

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