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: arm · wave · present · press · roll · spell · land · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. present — the time now
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. press — a publisher
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. press — newspapers
  10. roll — a list
  11. spell — a short time
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. land — a country
  14. land — to come down
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. spell — letters
  17. present — a gift
  18. roll — a cake
  19. spell — magic
  20. press — to push
  21. land — ground
  22. present — there
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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