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 · bound · tear · leaves · bass · roll · wave · mine

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bass — low music
  4. wax — to grow
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bass — the fish
  9. mine — for digging
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. roll — a list
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. wave — with your hand

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