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: bark · band · fan · chest · spell · bay · stick · wax

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. band — a ring
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. chest — a box
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. band — a music group
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. spell — letters
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bark — to shout
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — magic
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wax — to grow

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