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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. degree — from a university
  3. scale — size or range
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. scale — in music
  8. bark — to shout
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. wound — an injury
  13. degree — temperature
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. degree — an amount
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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