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: bound · plane · mug · wound · squash · current · cue · wax

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. squash — to crush
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mug — to rob
  9. cue — for pool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bound — tied together
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — a cup
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bound — obliged
  17. current — of water
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. squash — the sport
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. current — electric
  24. current — happening now

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