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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. wax — to grow
  3. staff — employees
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. date — the fruit
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bark — to shout
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. staff — employees
  18. band — a music group
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. band — a ring
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. staff — a stick

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