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: rock · wax · cap · sharp · current · march · rush · perch

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. sharp — clever
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rock — music
  5. current — of water
  6. rock — a stone
  7. cap — of ice
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. march — music
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. march — the month
  15. cap — a lid
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. current — happening now
  20. rush — hurry
  21. current — electric
  22. cap — a hat
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. march — the month

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