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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pop — music
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. rock — music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bark — to shout
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pop — soda
  15. spring — of water
  16. rock — a stone
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. spring — a coil
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. spring — the season
  24. chair — a leader

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