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: jam · fork · plane · bat · craft · bass · chest · wax

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. wax — to grow
  3. chest — a box
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. craft — a skill
  6. fork — in a road
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. chest — of your body
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bat — the animal
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. craft — boats
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — low music
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bass — the instrument

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