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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pop — soda
  5. swing — in golf
  6. wax — to grow
  7. cue — a signal
  8. swing — music
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pop — to visit
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. pop — music
  14. cue — for pool
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bat — the animal
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wax — in the ear

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