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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wax — to grow
  4. foot — a measure
  5. chest — of your body
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. chest — a box
  13. bat — the animal
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. branch — a division
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — obliged
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bat — in an idiom

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