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: calf · bound · bass · shower · roll · wax · key · face

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. roll — a cake
  3. face — to confront
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bass — the fish
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — to grow
  9. shower — rain
  10. bass — low music
  11. face — part of the head
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. key — for a lock
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bound — tied together
  18. key — the most important part
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bound — obliged
  22. key — in music
  23. roll — a list
  24. shower — to wash

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