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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. wax — to grow
  3. rush — hurry
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. capital — a city
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. wake — a trail
  18. kick — in football
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. rock — music
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. capital — money
  24. dip — to sink

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