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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pound — a weight
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. squash — the sport
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bass — the fish
  12. snap — to click
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bass — low music
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. squash — to crush
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. pound — for dogs

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