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 · file · date · pit · firm · rest · saw · bank

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rest — what's left
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. saw — the tool
  8. firm — a company
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bank — for money
  11. date — the fruit
  12. rest — what's left
  13. file — a line of people
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. firm — steady
  16. rest — a break
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a document
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. firm — decided
  23. pit — in a race
  24. wax — in the ear

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