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: wax · wind · last · fan · wake · bowl · cabinet · rock

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wind — moving air
  5. last — to go on
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rock — music
  8. last — finally
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. last — final
  15. wake — a trail
  16. rock — a stone
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bowl — to roll

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