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 124 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: wake · snap · chair · leaves · mate · wax · date · pound

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. mate — to breed
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. chair — a leader
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. mate — a friend
  15. wax — to grow
  16. snap — to click
  17. pound — a weight
  18. date — the fruit
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — a trail
  24. mate — a partner

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