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: wax · chest · rock · wind · ruler · squash · wake · bat

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. rock — a stone
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. chest — of your body
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. chest — a box
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bat — the animal
  18. rock — music
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wax — to grow
  23. chest — of your body
  24. wind — to turn a key

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