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: board · content · date · wound · pop · chair · pass · wax

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. pop — to visit
  7. date — the fruit
  8. content — happy
  9. chair — a leader
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pop — music
  13. content — the amount
  14. board — a committee
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. pop — soda
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. board — to get on
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. board — a flat piece

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