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 116 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: lash · pop · coach · saw · wake · wax · spell · leaves

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. pop — music
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. pop — soda
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wax — to grow
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pop — to visit
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. spell — letters
  19. saw — the tool
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wake — a trail
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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