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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. fine — high quality
  8. cell — a phone
  9. ball — a great time
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wax — to grow
  12. cell — in biology
  13. court — of law
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. court — of a king
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. court — for sport
  22. ball — a dance
  23. fine — all right
  24. temple — a place of worship

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