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: bear · row · ground · cell · wave · roll · wax · coach

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bear — the animal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cell — a phone
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. cell — in biology
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — a position
  15. row — a line
  16. roll — a list
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. ground — the earth
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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