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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. cue — a signal
  3. kid — to tease
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. wax — to grow
  7. board — to get on
  8. staff — employees
  9. board — a committee
  10. kid — child
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. cue — a hint
  13. staff — employees
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. staff — a stick
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — magic
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. cue — for pool
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. board — a flat piece

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