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 · cold · rest · wax · perch · bay · toast · branch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. toast — bread
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rest — what's left
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. cold — not warm
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. branch — a division
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cold — an illness
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. rest — a break
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. perch — the fish
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. perch — for a bird

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