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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. rest — a break
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bore — to drill
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bank — for money
  15. fork — in a road
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. rest — what's left
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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