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: track · rest · bound · last · ball · wax · cabinet · temple

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. wax — to grow
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. ball — a great time
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. last — finally
  8. last — to go on
  9. bound — obliged
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. ball — a dance
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — tied together
  16. track — a path
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. rest — a break
  19. last — final
  20. rest — what's left
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. track — to keep track
  24. rest — what's left

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