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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. rule — a law
  5. row — to paddle
  6. season — in sport
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. row — a line
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. perch — the fish
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. track — to keep track
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. wax — to grow
  16. rule — government
  17. chair — a leader
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. season — of the year
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. wake — a trail
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. perch — for a bird

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