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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. rush — hurry
  3. cue — a signal
  4. wake — a trail
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — a practice
  7. cue — for pool
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. drill — the tool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. branch — a division
  17. can — a tin
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. rush — a thrill

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