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 120 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 · rest · racket · sharp · season · staff · bound · tear

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. sharp — clever
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. rest — what's left
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. season — in sport
  14. staff — a stick
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rest — a break
  18. wax — to grow
  19. rest — what's left
  20. season — of the year
  21. bound — tied together
  22. tear — to rip
  23. staff — employees
  24. racket — a loud noise

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