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: coach · current · hand · wax · racket · leaves · snap · shower

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. current — happening now
  3. shower — to wash
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. shower — rain
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wax — to grow
  10. current — of water
  11. current — electric
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. hand — in cards
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. coach — a trainer

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