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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. rest — what's left
  3. club — for golf
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. squash — to crush
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bat — the animal
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rest — a break
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. club — a group
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wax — to grow
  21. squash — the sport
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. club — for dancing
  24. ruler — for measuring

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