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 120 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: wake · bulb · pound · wax · stick · cue · lie · kid

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. kid — to tease
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pound — a weight
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wake — a trail
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. kid — child
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. lie — to recline
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bulb — for light

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