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: cabinet · roll · band · game · pass · wind · wax · season

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. season — in sport
  5. roll — a cake
  6. game — a match
  7. wind — moving air
  8. roll — a list
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. band — a music group
  12. game — wild animals
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. season — of the year
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. band — a ring
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. roll — on a roll

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