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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bound — obliged
  4. mate — a friend
  5. kid — to tease
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bound — certain
  8. swing — in golf
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. mate — to breed
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bound — tied together
  14. mate — a partner
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. swing — music
  17. rush — hurry
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. kid — child
  22. swing — to play on
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. leaves — to go away

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