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: chair · track · rash · sharp · stand · wax · plane · rush

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. rash — a series
  3. sharp — clever
  4. wax — to grow
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. plane — a tool
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. track — a song
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. track — to keep track
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. stand — to bear
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. track — a path
  24. chair — a leader

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