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: wound · present · drill · straw · wax · scale · land · board

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wound — an injury
  5. present — a gift
  6. board — to get on
  7. land — to come down
  8. scale — in music
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. scale — size or range
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — a committee
  15. drill — the tool
  16. present — there
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — army training
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. present — the time now
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. land — a country
  23. wound — an injury
  24. land — ground

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