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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bound — obliged
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bound — certain
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. tube — a container
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bound — tied together
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. ball — a dance
  16. court — of a king
  17. board — to get on
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. tube — the underground
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. court — for sport
  23. board — a committee
  24. court — of law

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