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 120 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. last — finally
  3. squash — the sport
  4. last — final
  5. bound — certain
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — in golf
  8. wake — a trail
  9. squash — to crush
  10. last — to go on
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. band — a ring
  17. rock — music
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rock — a stone
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. band — a music group
  23. swing — to play on
  24. band — a rubber band

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