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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. cold — not warm
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — finally
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. cold — an illness
  24. last — final

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