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: wax · sharp · spell · wind · chair · fork · can · bound

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bound — certain
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. spell — a short time
  7. wax — to grow
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bound — tied together
  12. spell — magic
  13. chair — a leader
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bound — obliged
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. sharp — clever
  24. can — a tin

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