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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — in cards
  4. plane — a tool
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. ground — crushed
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. ground — a position
  14. pop — soda
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. pop — music
  17. last — to go on
  18. pop — to visit
  19. suit — clothes
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. last — finally
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. ground — the earth
  24. last — final

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