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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. spring — the season
  3. pop — to visit
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. hand — help
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pop — music
  11. can — to be able to
  12. hand — in cards
  13. fine — all right
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. fine — high quality
  20. can — a tin
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pop — soda
  23. can — a tin
  24. bass — low music

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