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: wax · march · board · jam · object · pit · wind · rest

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wax — to grow
  7. board — a committee
  8. march — the month
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. march — music
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — a thing
  16. rest — what's left
  17. object — an aim
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. march — the month
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. rest — a break
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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