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: toast · nail · pop · current · file · track · wax · spell

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. track — to keep track
  3. current — electric
  4. pop — music
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pop — to visit
  7. current — of water
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a line of people
  10. current — happening now
  11. spell — a short time
  12. toast — bread
  13. file — a tool
  14. spell — letters
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. track — a song
  18. track — a path
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pop — soda
  21. spell — magic
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. wax — in the ear
  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