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: perch · wax · track · squash · bound · bass · sharp · season

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bound — tied together
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — to grow
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. track — a song
  8. bass — the fish
  9. track — a path
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bound — obliged
  15. track — to keep track
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. season — in sport
  18. bound — certain
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bass — low music
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. squash — to crush

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