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 116 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: mine · wax · wind · mug · current · pitcher · leaves · wake

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. current — happening now
  3. mug — a cup
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. current — of water
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. mug — a face
  12. current — electric
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mine — for digging
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. wake — a trail
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. mug — to rob
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wind — to turn a key

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