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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. roll — a cake
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bound — obliged
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bound — certain
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. row — to paddle
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ball — a great time
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — a line
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bound — tied together
  21. sharp — clever
  22. roll — a list
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — of the sea

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