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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. snap — to click
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. net — after costs
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. current — electric
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. net — in sport
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. net — for catching
  18. kid — child
  19. pass — a permit
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wake — a trail
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. pass — to spend time

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