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: can · swing · cabinet · wax · bat · pound · lash · band

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wax — to grow
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a music group
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. swing — music
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. can — a tin
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — a weight
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. swing — to play on
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bat — the animal
  17. swing — in golf
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. can — a tin
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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