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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. season — of the year
  8. kick — in football
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. season — in sport
  12. track — a path
  13. fork — in a road
  14. track — to keep track
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. track — a song
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. season — to add flavour

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