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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. mine — for digging
  7. craft — a skill
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bank — for money
  10. craft — boats
  11. wax — to grow
  12. content — the amount
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. content — happy
  15. bank — for money
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bark — to shout
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — a price
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. mine — an explosive

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