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: wax · ball · file · squash · tear · trunk · arm · wake

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. file — a document
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. file — a line of people
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. tear — to rip
  14. wax — to grow
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. squash — to crush
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. ball — a great time
  21. file — a tool
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. tear — from crying

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