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: rest · staff · face · club · can · wax · last · squash

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. can — to be able to
  5. squash — to crush
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. face — to confront
  9. can — a tin
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. face — part of the head
  13. rest — what's left
  14. club — for dancing
  15. rest — a break
  16. last — to go on
  17. can — a tin
  18. staff — employees
  19. face — to point toward
  20. staff — employees
  21. club — for golf
  22. last — finally
  23. club — a group
  24. staff — a stick

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