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: temple · wax · rush · arm · bear · rock · bat · current

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. current — electric
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wax — to grow
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. rock — music
  13. current — of water
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. rush — hurry
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. current — happening now
  24. rush — a thrill

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