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: spring · wax · squash · lash · ruler · snap · kick · wave

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. snap — to click
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — of water
  8. kick — in football
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. wax — to grow
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. squash — to crush
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. squash — the sport
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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