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: wax · rock · key · kid · pound · net · land · snap

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. land — a country
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. kid — child
  6. net — in sport
  7. land — to come down
  8. kid — to tease
  9. net — after costs
  10. land — ground
  11. key — the most important part
  12. wax — to grow
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. key — for a lock
  17. rock — music
  18. net — for catching
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. pound — a weight
  21. snap — to click
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — to move gently

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