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: court · pit · wax · wake · fan · dip · bay · rash

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — of law
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rash — hasty
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. wake — a trail
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — in a race
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. rash — a series
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. court — for sport
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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