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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mate — to breed
  3. wax — to grow
  4. spell — a short time
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. mate — a partner
  11. roll — a cake
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. mate — a friend
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. content — the amount
  18. roll — a list
  19. content — happy
  20. ball — a dance
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. spell — magic
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. foot — a measure

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