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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bank — for money
  3. snap — to click
  4. key — in music
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. mate — a friend
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. file — a tool
  10. mate — a partner
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bank — of a river
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bank — for money
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. file — a document
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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