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: chest · wax · leaves · bound · nail · degree · bay · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. wax — to grow
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bound — certain
  15. spell — a short time
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. spell — letters
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bound — tied together
  24. degree — an amount

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