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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bank — for money
  4. mark — a trace
  5. last — final
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for dancing
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. wax — to grow
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bank — for money
  14. last — finally
  15. last — to go on
  16. mark — a grade
  17. club — for golf
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bank — of a river
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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