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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. object — an aim
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. roll — a cake
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wax — to grow
  7. present — a gift
  8. chest — a box
  9. present — there
  10. present — the time now
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chest — of your body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a leader
  19. object — a thing
  20. chest — of your body
  21. object — to protest
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a list

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