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: chair · jam · rock · row · wax · mine · mouse · temple

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. chair — a leader
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. wax — to grow
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. row — to paddle
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mine — for digging
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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