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: season · wax · sharp · rush · rest · object · content · mark

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. wax — to grow
  5. object — an aim
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — the amount
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — in sport
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. rest — a break
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. object — to protest
  14. mark — a trace
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rush — hurry
  19. sharp — clever
  20. mark — a grade
  21. object — a thing
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — to hurry

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