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 116 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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. fork — in a road
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. saw — the tool
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. chair — a leader
  22. sharp — clever
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. drill — the tool

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