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: wax · last · calf · saw · ball · rush · stem · row

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ball — a dance
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wax — to grow
  12. row — a line
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. saw — the tool
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. last — final
  18. row — to paddle
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. rush — hurry
  22. ball — a great time
  23. saw — the tool
  24. last — to go on

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