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: straw · date · track · sharp · arm · march · wax · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. track — a song
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wax — to grow
  8. march — music
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. march — the month
  14. track — to keep track
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. track — a path
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. date — the fruit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. sharp — clever
  24. march — the month

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