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: wax · current · bank · row · bowl · file · pitch · arm

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bank — for money
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bank — for money
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. current — happening now
  11. bank — of a river
  12. current — electric
  13. pitch — completely
  14. row — to paddle
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. row — a line
  18. file — a line of people
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. current — of water
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. wax — in the ear
  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