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: rest · straw · drill · rush · game · last · fine · wax

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. game — a match
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. wax — to grow
  5. last — to go on
  6. drill — army training
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. last — final
  10. game — wild animals
  11. drill — the tool
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. last — finally
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rest — what's left
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rush — hurry
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. drill — a practice
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rest — a break
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — all right

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