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: hand · coach · bark · wave · cap · lash · wax · track

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. track — a song
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. track — a path
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wax — to grow
  8. track — to keep track
  9. hand — help
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. cap — a lid
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. hand — in cards
  14. cap — of ice
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bark — to shout
  23. cap — a hat
  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