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: game · rest · wax · nail · bass · degree · coach · cabinet

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. game — wild animals
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. degree — from a university
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bass — the fish
  11. degree — temperature
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. degree — an amount
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. game — a match
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bass — low music
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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