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: wind · wax · wake · chest · cell · net · wave · pitch

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. wind — moving air
  3. net — after costs
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wake — a trail
  7. net — for catching
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pitch — completely
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. cell — in biology
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. net — in sport
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. chest — of your body
  20. wax — to grow
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cell — a phone
  24. wax — for sculpting

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