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: press · degree · bowl · cue · fan · wave · wax · suit

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. suit — in cards
  8. cue — for pool
  9. degree — from a university
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. suit — clothes
  13. press — to push
  14. cue — a signal
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. suit — to fit
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — an amount
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. press — newspapers
  24. wax — to grow

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