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: bank · wax · current · club · object · season · mine · tear

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — to protest
  3. current — electric
  4. season — of the year
  5. object — a thing
  6. mine — for digging
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. current — happening now
  10. season — in sport
  11. club — for dancing
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bank — of a river
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. tear — to rip
  18. current — of water
  19. club — for golf
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — to grow
  24. club — a group

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