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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bass — low music
  3. chip — to eat
  4. band — a music group
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. net — after costs
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bass — the fish
  9. face — to confront
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. net — for catching
  13. chip — for betting
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. band — a ring
  18. net — in sport
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. face — to point toward

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