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: tube · wave · court · craft · cue · bay · wake · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. cue — for pool
  5. tube — the underground
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. court — of a king
  8. craft — boats
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. cue — a hint
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. wake — a trail
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. tube — a container
  19. court — of law
  20. craft — a skill
  21. court — for sport
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bay — a horse colour

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