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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. file — a line of people
  5. board — a committee
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. board — to get on
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. wax — to grow
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. perch — the fish
  18. rush — hurry
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. file — a document
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bass — low music
  24. file — a tool

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