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: net · nail · wax · pitch · cap · bound · dip · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. cap — a hat
  3. dip — to sink
  4. cap — of ice
  5. wax — to grow
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. net — for catching
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bound — certain
  13. net — in sport
  14. cap — a lid
  15. pitch — completely
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bound — obliged
  20. net — after costs
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bound — tied together
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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