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

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. mate — a partner
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. mate — to breed
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wake — a trail
  15. object — a thing
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — the animal
  18. foot — a measure
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. object — an aim
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  24. object — to protest

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