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

Word bank: coach · season · leaves · saw · spell · wax

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. spell — a short time
  4. wax — to grow
  5. spell — magic
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. spell — letters
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. season — of the year
  18. coach — pulled by horses

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