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 116 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. land — ground
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wake — a trail
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. club — a group
  11. last — finally
  12. last — final
  13. deal — to handle
  14. wax — to grow
  15. club — for dancing
  16. last — to go on
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. land — a country
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. land — to come down
  21. rush — hurry
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. club — for golf

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