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: wax · fan · bound · net · cue · rest · roll · wind

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. net — in sport
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. net — after costs
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — obliged
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wax — to grow
  13. net — for catching
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. cue — a hint
  18. roll — a list
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. fan — a supporter

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