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: pit · saw · club · wax · content · last · coach · hand

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. last — final
  4. pit — in a race
  5. hand — help
  6. saw — the tool
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. club — for dancing
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. club — a group
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. content — the amount
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pit — a hole
  15. hand — in cards
  16. content — happy
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. club — for golf
  19. last — to go on
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. last — finally
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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