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 · wound · squash · foot · mark · bound · dip · wake

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. mark — a grade
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. dip — to sink
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bound — tied together
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bound — obliged
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bound — certain
  18. squash — to crush
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. foot — a measure
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. squash — the sport

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