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 120 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: rest · chair · wax · bear · swing · stick

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. rest — a break
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. swing — in golf
  15. chair — a leader
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. swing — music
  18. rest — what's left

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