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 120 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: rush · swing · saw · spring · pound · bark · wax · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. swing — music
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. swing — in golf
  6. pound — a weight
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. spring — the season
  19. swing — to play on
  20. spring — of water
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. saw — the tool

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