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: present · toast · wave · wax · sharp · temple · row · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. present — the time now
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. present — there
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. row — a line
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. sharp — clever
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. row — to paddle
  21. present — a gift
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. toast — bread
  24. wax — in the ear

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