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: last · wax · wind · row · stick · pitcher · mouse · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. last — to go on
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. row — a line
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. last — final
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. last — finally
  16. row — to paddle
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. wax — to grow
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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