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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. band — a music group
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. mug — a face
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mug — to rob
  8. cue — a signal
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. wax — to grow
  15. band — a ring
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cue — a hint
  18. roll — a list
  19. cue — for pool
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. mug — a cup
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. roll — a cake

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