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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. track — to keep track
  3. march — music
  4. kick — in football
  5. wax — to grow
  6. track — a song
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. track — a path
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. kid — child
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. snap — to click
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kid — to tease
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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