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: file · wax · chip · lash · last · staff · game · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. staff — a stick
  3. last — finally
  4. game — wild animals
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. chip — for betting
  7. wake — a trail
  8. file — a line of people
  9. wax — to grow
  10. last — to go on
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. staff — employees
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. staff — employees
  15. chip — to eat
  16. file — a document
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. file — a tool
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. game — a match
  23. last — final
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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