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: cap · last · bear · wax · wave · mine · bowl · game

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. game — a match
  3. last — finally
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cap — of ice
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mine — for digging
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. cap — a hat
  19. last — to go on
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. last — final

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