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: last · temple · wound · cap · craft · hand · wax · wake

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. wound — an injury
  5. hand — in cards
  6. last — to go on
  7. craft — boats
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. cap — a lid
  12. craft — a skill
  13. last — finally
  14. hand — help
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. cap — of ice
  19. last — final
  20. wake — a trail
  21. cap — a hat
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wax — to grow

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