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: wave · wax · coach · perch · rush · rule · file · wind

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rule — government
  4. rush — hurry
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. file — a line of people
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. perch — the fish
  11. rule — a law
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wax — to grow
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. file — a tool
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. file — a document
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wind — moving air

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