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: squash · plane · ball · temple · wax · present · pitcher · wind

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. squash — to crush
  6. plane — a tool
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. ball — a dance
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. present — there
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. present — a gift
  16. ball — a great time
  17. present — the time now
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. squash — the sport
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. wax — to grow

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