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 116 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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. game — a match
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bank — for money
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. game — wild animals
  13. rock — music
  14. bank — for money
  15. mate — a friend
  16. rock — a stone
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. chair — a leader
  20. mate — a partner
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bank — of a river
  24. cell — a phone

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