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: plane · pound · toast · land · deal · wake · wax · chest

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. chest — a box
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. plane — a tool
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wax — to grow
  12. chest — of your body
  13. land — a country
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pound — a weight
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. toast — bread
  19. deal — to handle
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. land — to come down
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. land — ground

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