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: toast · squash · bark · wave · track · pound · wax · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. toast — bread
  5. track — a song
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. fine — high quality
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. squash — the sport
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — a weight
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — to shout
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. pound — for dogs

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