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: bound · hand · squash · lie · coach · rest · deal · wax

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wax — to grow
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. lie — to recline
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. squash — the sport
  7. rest — a break
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bound — certain
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. rest — what's left
  15. hand — help
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bound — obliged
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bound — tied together
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. squash — to crush
  24. rest — what's left

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