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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. board — to get on
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cold — an illness
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. board — a committee
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. cold — not warm
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. lash — an eyelash

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