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: board · trunk · kid · bank · wind · mate · lie · wax

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — child
  3. mate — a partner
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bank — for money
  7. wind — moving air
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bank — of a river
  10. board — to get on
  11. bank — for money
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. board — a committee
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. mate — to breed
  24. lie — to recline

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