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

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. cue — a signal
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wind — moving air
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. spell — magic
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — a partner
  15. cue — a hint
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. stand — to bear
  18. cue — for pool
  19. wind — moving air
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. fork — in a road

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