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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · wake · bear · jam · bay · file

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. file — a line of people
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. file — a document
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wake — a trail
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. file — a tool
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with

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