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: pitch · roll · wake · last · mine · toast · rush · wax

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. pitch — completely
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wax — to grow
  6. last — finally
  7. last — final
  8. roll — a list
  9. mine — for digging
  10. last — to go on
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. toast — bread
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. roll — a cake

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