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: wax · mark · ball · trunk · spell · season · face · chair

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. spell — magic
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a great time
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. face — to confront
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. mark — a trace
  17. chair — a leader
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to point toward
  20. spell — letters
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. season — of the year
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. spell — a short time

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