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: wave · wax · rock · cell · rule · pitch · land · pound

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. cell — a phone
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rule — government
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. rule — a law
  11. pitch — completely
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. pound — a weight
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. rock — a stone
  17. wax — to grow
  18. cell — in biology
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. land — ground
  23. land — a country
  24. pound — to hit hard

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