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 · object · perch · current · bound · chest · degree · cap

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. object — a thing
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bound — obliged
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. object — an aim
  7. current — happening now
  8. chest — of your body
  9. current — electric
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cap — a hat
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — temperature
  14. chest — a box
  15. perch — the fish
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. degree — from a university
  18. chest — of your body
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. current — of water
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bound — certain
  24. object — to protest

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