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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stand — to bear
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. spring — a coil
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — to grow
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rash — hasty
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. spring — the season
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. board — a committee
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. board — to get on
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. rash — a series
  23. spring — of water
  24. wake — a trail

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