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: rock · toast · foot · wax · band · can · saw · wake

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. can — a tin
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. foot — a measure
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. rock — a stone
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. wake — a trail
  11. saw — the tool
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rock — music
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wax — to grow
  18. saw — the tool
  19. can — to be able to
  20. band — a music group
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. can — a tin

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